The First Winter
by LydeaBlaze
Summary: Six months after Elsa became Queen of Arendelle and her life finally on track, the inaugural Winter Festival is attacked. Elsa is nearly assassinated and her foster uncle uncovers letters from this threat to the Snow Queen's Throne. As she comes under fire, Elsa must stand her ground and protect herself and Arendelle from this unknown assailant who goes by 'The Winter Swordsman'
1. Chapter 1: A Door Opens

The First Winter

Chapter 1: A Door Opens

Snowflakes fall outside the window in the cold frost of an early winter morning, sunlight gracing through frost-glazed windows. Snow flurries like this six months ago, it felt like a curse upon the land a freak blizzard hit Arendelle back in the summer, caused by complete accident through the magic that the Queen has spent her whole life trying to control. It was when the love between the sisters was realised that they learnt how to reverse it and the Queen… well; she's learnt to control it even when political life doesn't exactly call for ice sculptures and palaces made out of ice.

Anna sits up in bed raising her hands in a stretch above her head before running her hands through her strawberry-blonde hair, smoothing it behind her shoulders. She gets out of bed, throwing the covers aside and stepping out in a light green nightgown and walking over sit by the dressing table and sits by it and picks up her hairbrush. She only gets a few brushstrokes in before noticing the windows in the mirror and outside…

"It's snowing." Anna says, getting up and running over to the window, "Hey, it's snowing!"

Anna hurries down the hall cheerfully, yet enough in a hurry to forget about finishing her mourning routine she barely even started, before coming to a set of doors decorated with floral designs. Every time she came to a door like this, especially as for which this is the chamber of her sister, she would dread to knock, as she would usually never get an answer. Even now, six months after she and her sister, the queen, have put aside all that was stopping them from seeing each other unless on occasions, for about since Anna herself was five, she still dreads if she has to knock on the door.

She takes a deep breath, _"Come on, Anna, we're friends again, sisters again, remember? It is not as if it's going to ever happen again. Sure, sometimes she is busy, you know, being Queen and all, but… it's not like it'll happen again."_

Anna knocks on her sister's door and it remains quiet for a few minutes and she remains a little uneasy, about to knock again when the doors part and on the other side, her sister, Queen Elsa, stands looking a little more presentable than she does at the moment. Her hair braided already as she often wears it nowadays, except she is not wearing her snowy dress she wore in the mountains nowadays. At the moment, instead a blue dress, with an ice blue coloured chemise with and sleeves down to her wrists, her skirt, a darker blue with snowflakes printed on the fabric and she wears no gloves anymore, as she doesn't feel the need to.

"Hey, Anna…" Elsa smiles, looking on amused to the sight of her sister, "Let me guess, it was urgent?"

Anna half-laughs, a little embarrassed, "Yeah... I just really wanted to see you right at that moment and I didn't realise until now that… I am not exactly dressed and have a bedhead of hair and… Never mind. Did you look outside? It's snowing and not in summer this time."

"Yeah, it is, now isn't it?" the older sister replies with a soft smile, stepping aside from the door to let her sister come into the room, "You know, I used to hate looking at the winter sometimes, knowing that it was what my powers were, but… I guess this is the first time I've enjoyed weather like this since we were kids."

Anna then has a thought, "Hey, Elsa, I was thinking that we could go do something in the snow today. You know, we could go ice-skating or build a snowman, you know, like when we were kids. It's the first winter that we've been together like this in thirteen years and I think you deserve a-"

"As much as that sounds like it would be fun, I can't Anna…" Elsa says with a deep sigh, afterward, walking over to a chair and sinking into it, "I've got a lot to do today; important things to do for Arendelle and I have meetings and… as much as it sounds tempting and I know that I promised after last time that we would hang out... I just can't today."

"Oh… I understand…" the younger sibling of the pair, mutters feeling downcast herself, and slightly pulling at her hair, "I wish you could though, it isn't the same without you around sometimes and… I just don't like it when you shut me out."

"Anna…" Elsa breathes, her head sinking for her forehead to be held up by the palm of her hand, "I'm not doing this on purpose, and I can only hope you understand why. Just… Go and have fun outside, go and spend time with Kristoff if he is not busy, just… Leave me be."

"Okay…" Anna replies, taking a step forward only asking herself if she should, but she just steps away, "I'll see you… later I guess."

Anna walks to the door, knowing that it is her time to leave her sister be and exits, leaving the room and leaving Elsa by herself sitting there only feeling disappointed. In the last six months that his fair-haired young woman has now been queen, she has been spending time with her younger sister whenever she can to make up for lost time, but… There have been times where she has had to cancel like right now and it just feels at bad as shutting her out again, even when that was to protect her from the powers she has inside…

There is a slight knock at the door, _"My Lady, your presence is requested in the throne room."_

Elsa sighs, rising to her feet as the unceasing duty calls. She has been trying to adjust to this new routine for six months, but to no avail is she still used to it and the amount of stress she can endure. She has been taught for when this time came to be Queen all about her duties, but… Life has been nothing been easy if you're born with ice powers that were uncontrollable up until the age of 21 when you'd end up unleashing them at your coronation and have to flee and sooner after you froze your own sister solid you'd learn how the hell to control it after spending _years_ trying and...

_"__My lady, I implore you to hurry if you may. You have a long day ahead of you and now isn't the time for being slack."_

Elsa takes a breath and opens the doors, as she has a long day ahead of her of laws to look over, plans to oversee, edicts to sign and people to meet and her Lady in Waiting seems to be getting a little impatient, a sign that there is something going on that is of upmost importance.

* * *

The winter weather is a partly cloudy day outside with the snow falling from the sky above as Anna walks in the castle courtyard. Snow in the cracks between the stones that make up this path that was not brushed away to keep it clean and neat in the eye of the beholding visitor that graces the castle's premises. As Elsa promised her when the snow cleared six months ago, they would never be closed off from the world ever again and the gates, another door that held Anna back for thirteen years, have been open. Yet every time Anna looks to the gates when they are opened, she cannot help but check for an invisible barrier every time she approaches it. She stands by the open gates, and slowly outstretches their hand through the opening, much to her relief nothing else would prevent her for leaving.

"Uh, Anna… The gates are open."

Anna looks down and Olaf looks up at her looking to the least confused of what she is doing. If you have been locked inside the palace as long as she had been growing up thirteen years of loneliness and thinking that this cannot all be real… You would understand why she does this sort of thing sometimes.

"Oh… Yeah, they are." Anna replies, with a laugh, kneeling down to Olaf's level and giving him a hug, "Hey, Olaf… How are you enjoying the actual winter?"

"Well, already seeing the other two seasons… I like winter better, but not until I see spring will I make my mind up." Olaf replies, hugging her back, "Where's Elsa? I thought she would have come outside today?"

The young woman sighs sadly, as she stands, "I thought so too… but she's working. Ever since, you know… things settled down after the summer, she has always been so busy… I do not think she smiles as much as she did that summer..."

"I'm sure we'll be able to think of something then, right now… Let's go and enjoy the day anyway before Kristoff comes back from the mountains." The snowman says, taking the hand of his human friend, "There's a snowman making contest in town that the schools are running, wonder how creative these kids get with snow."

"Oh, I forgot about that! I am supposed to be a judge of that for Elsa. That's what I was supposed to do today!" Anna exclaims, suddenly remembering a rare responsibility she gets in the line of royal duties whatsoever, "Come on, Olaf, we better hurry!"

Anna then dashes forward, thinking she is dragging Olaf when she has just pulled off his arm by accident, placing it back on with a few quick apologies before they then begin to run across the bridge that has the palace on a small area across the river from the rest of the Arendelle Kingdom. She only remembered that about a few days ago her sister approached her and asked if she could take this. Elsa had only remembered that she had too many things that would possibly clash with this little snowman building competition that the schools are holding and considering how much more "people skills" Anna seems to have, it seemed like her event to handle. Considering how Anna is only the Princess, for her to get the occasional royal duty is a blessing in disguise. -Assuming she actually does remember the said event that she would be attending.

* * *

Elsa sits in her study, looking through documents. The bane of her work has be when she to deal with the piles of paperwork that end up on her desk, a majority of them she has to sign and stamp with the royal seal. The occasional meet and greet sort of public outing, or a meeting with her ministers does not cause as much of a headache as reading through countless hours of paperwork in a week can. She gets out an inkpad and goes through her draw, looking for the stamp, wondering why she doesn't have it on the desk in the first place if she needs it and why it's back in the draw she does not know. Successfully finding it, she then reads over the document again before stamping it with the royal seal and signs her name _Queen Elsa of Arendelle_ at the left of it. As she gets the next document off the small pile of papers to her left, a knock comes to the door

"Enter." Elsa speaks, while reading the notes on the paper

The doors part and a fawn-brown haired young woman, no older than the queen herself open one of the doors, "My lady, Lord Brenan is here to see you."

"Send him in, Miss Nadia." The queen replies

Nadia turns around to the visitor, still holding the right door open, "The Queen will see you now."

Lord Amadeus Brenan, a noble within the Arendelle aristocracy, surprisingly a good friend of the Queen's late father, enters and bows before the queen as she rises from her chair. As much as he was an uncle figure to her and Anna growing up, he was only but another person who she distanced herself from. The Lord himself spent much more time over those thirteen years, about six of them, as their Ambassador to the Southern Isles, coming home on holidays and events and especially for the coronation of one of his favourite nieces. Supporting the least of formal court attire of a navy jacket with bronzed detail and gold epaulettes, his sash with medals and the Arendelle crest supported on it, but the one downside of the formality though his hair. It seems all but a little wild and untameable at times, his bangs hanging over his face, brushed aside whenever he speaks. However, in a world of formality and grace, a little bit of casualness is appreciated.

"Lord Brenan." Elsa speaks, nodding her head to respect his presence, "You may sit if you want."

"My Queen, the preparations for the Winter Festival are underway as planned and, weather permitting, the festival should be held on its planned day." Lord Brenan answers, reporting all of what he can for the moment, "If I may, your grace, compliment you on the idea of this celebration as it both serves as an enjoyable event for all to attend and a fitting homage to your powers."

"Thank you…" Elsa says with a soft smile, before fading and clearing her throat, walking back to her chair and sinking into it, "And it is good that even in this weather things are going as planned."

"Is something troubling you, Elsa?" the nobleman asks, being frank to the least of concern considering how close he is to the royal family, he is even considered an uncle to the girl if they could call him that… well for at least for Anna

"It's nothing, please…" The young queen responds, hovering over some paperwork with her quill

"I mayn't have been around you as much as Anna when you both were little, but I know when something is troubling you." Amadeus says, trying somewhat he can to help when he knows that Elsa can be at times a little cold still, but not as bad as before, "But I'm sure, whatever it is, that the Winter Festival will take your mind off whatever bothers you, my lady."

Lord Brenan then turns to walk to the door and Elsa feels obliged to discuss it, as he was among others who told her the night after she returned that if she needed anything to let him know. She has promised herself not to be so cold to people anymore, even if she is only still learning to open up since six months ago after the incident. Considering how close Amadeus was to her father, from all the tales she hears of them both growing up together, and is to her sister, being that uncle who taught her how to ride horses, taught her how to dance and whatnot when their father was busy… She knows she could trust him, she does, and even if she isolated herself away for thirteen years, he was at least trying to be there most of the time for her, especially after her father and mother died three years ago.

The queen sighs, "It's about Anna… I feel as though that I am pushing her away more often than I am spending time with her. I am bound to my responsibilities, but when Anna came to my door this morning asking me if I could come outside with her in the snow…"

"You wanted to join her, but with all this work at the moment, you felt as though you had no choice but to turn her away." the lord then says, nodding in understanding, "But, cheer up, my queen, like I said, the Winter Festival is a few days away. I'm sure you and Anna can spend time together then."

"I guess you're right." Elsa says, with a slight smile

"I wish you good day, Elsa. And remember, I'm not just here for Anna, I'm here for you too, we all are, and if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Lord Brenan replies with a bow

The lord then leaves as quickly as he originally came, the queen barely even getting a word in for a simple thank you, even if her smile said it all. Her mother once said, the expressions say everything and a simple smile can have variant meanings, but for the most of it, it means more than a simple word can tell and pictures are worth a thousand words as she learnt when she was young.

* * *

Of all the royal duties over the years, which are very few to be honest for the second in line for the throne, Anna, this has to be the most enjoyable. She and Olaf have just arrived at the park in town and upon entering; an archway of ice and ice sculptures lining the entrance. With a sudden look into them with her face, comically disarranging her face and making faces as they are. Ice sculptures on display at a children's contest... truly it can be only a word to say it is a step up from making snowmen.

"Kristoff would love these, you know, since when he saw Elsa's Ice Palace he said that 'ice is his life' and all that." Anna says running around some of them to get a three hundred and sixty degree view of the icy artworks, "But I'm sure Elsa can do so much better than these guys. Come on, building a whole palace out of ice _with_ only but her powers and two hands. Nothing can top that."

"Yeah..." Olaf says, tottering along beside her, before looking at his own reflection in one of the ice sculptures, "But I'm better than an ice palace any day. I am alive... I think so at least... ...And I like warm hugs!"

Anna laughs happily when she comes back beside her little snowman friend. Even if he is a snowman who was a little slow at the concept about what happens to snowmen when it comes to heat... especially when he was staring at the fire and could have melted himself... but for his issues, he has his merits and he could only be a fitting companion for this sort of event. She looks ahead of her and she breathes a gasp...

"Look at all the snowmen! Come on, Olaf."

The eccentrically boisterous princess runs forward with the snowman following behind her, as they look around at all the snowmen and entries to the contest. Olaf looks around to all the snowmen, making the least of whimsical introductions to something that is an inanimate version of him. –That's before the kids find him and as he has learned over the last six months, the kids love a walking, talking –in other words- living snowman and it isn't long before he is swamped with the little kids wanting to hug him. Nevertheless, of course, he is Olaf and he likes warm hugs. Anna gets back from her little sightsee and notices that her snowman has been overwhelmed by little kids.

Anna chuckles, "You need any help there, Olaf?"

"Nah, it's cool... Well it is warm, but still cool and... You get what I mean." Olaf replies, while being examined by a bunch of five year olds, before one of them pulls off his arm, "Hey, you give me that back, kid! I need my arm to lift things!"

Anna can't help but laugh as a bunch of children play keep away with Olaf's arm and as much as it would annoy anyone when some little brat pulls of his arm, he just chases after the little kids, who seem to all but get a giggle and a hoot from it. Nothing really angers this cheerful little creature, as he is all but the spirit of when his creators, Anna and Elsa, made him as little kids, only a few short minutes before that accident.

"Beg of your pardon, my lady, but you are late." One of the contest organisers say, standing behind her

"Oh, me?" Anna then says, awkwardly turning around, remembering the fact of the matter that she is late to this -very rare- royal duty she has been entrusted with, "Sorry, sorry, I just kinda got caught up back at the palace with things and... Oh! Did I mention I only just remembered that I had gotten the invite on short notice? No, I do not think I did... But yeah, short notice and funny thing is... short notice, and I can't remember."

"Oh let her be, she's the Princess, and who said that she was late, hm?" A man says as he approaches, "She looks like she's on time to me; _I'm_ the one who is late."

"Kristoff!"

Anna runs over to her boyfriend, who then lifts her on approach and twirls her around, before plopping her back down on the ground and they share all but a simple kiss in an embrace of holding hands. She thought he was going to be busy all day, being that he is Arendelle's Ice Master and Deliverer, but then again, it's winter and there isn't exactly much use for ice, except for bringing the ice sculptures some ice for them to carve the ice sculptures out of for the festival. As he seemed to have done before since there are already some ice sculptures sitting out by the entrance, and as Lord Brenan requested, they want a lot of them.

"I thought you were going to be busy?" Anna says to her significant other as they hold hands

"Yeah, ice harvesting in winter doesn't exactly work when it falls from the sky anyway." Kristoff replies with a carefree shrug, "And I came here to see you."

"You came here to see me?" the princess blushes, feeling a little honoured

Kristoff rolls his eyes with amusement, "Yeah, of course I would be here to see you. What else would I be here for? Last I checked, the only thing prettier than ice and more interesting than child's play would be my darling girlfriend."

"If I may interject here... Princess Anna, you have a contest to judge and we're already sort of behind schedule." A contest organiser then interjects, interrupting their romantic sweet time, "First off you have the kindergarten students ones to judge, along with the Year 1's, 2's and 3's and later on you'll have the 4's, 5's and 6's. After a lunch break, you will have the 7's, 8's, 9's and 10's and then the grand prince will be awarded."

"Oh, yeah... That is why I am here! I really shouldn't get side-tracked; this is pretty crazy right now..." Anna responds, hitting herself on the forehead with her hand, "So where do I begin?"

The contest organiser steps in front of her, "Right this way, my lady... and gentleman... and living snowman thing."

* * *

Kristoff takes Anna's hand, the princess blushing at the gesture slightly. As a romantic, she is one who, although having a basic concept of what really is, just finds that every moment with her boyfriend, her Kristoff, is all but true happiness. Olaf then bursts between them, making them let go of each other's hands as a bunch of little kids seem to be chasing him and Kristoff rolls his eyes while Anna laughs at the game. She then receives an impatient look from the event's coordinator before she clears her throat, just continuing on her trip to do her judging while Kristoff joins her, taking her hand as they walk along.

Elsa walks through the corridors, away from her office for once and planning to take a bit of a stroll. Her lady in waiting, Nadia, is following her queen, as she should. Her gloved hands cupped, resting against where her corset meets her skirt with a small shawl of fabric resting between her elbows and around her back. It's cold even in the palace, as even the queen's attendant seems to bundle herself while she is around on her duties, and yet anyone can envy the queen's ability to deal with the cold due to the powers she possesses. Elsa stops on her walk, looks out the windows, looking out on the snow outside, and she presses her hand on the winter, ice forming around it a bit, if there has not been any there already.

Nadia stops with her, "Is something the matter, my lady?"

"I'm fine… Thank you." Elsa replies, looking outside, before having an idea, "Actually… Cancel all my engagements this afternoon, if I have any."

"What?" The lady in waiting responds, confused, "But my lady-"

"Just do it!" Elsa cheerfully replies, starting to run down the halls, "Because it's all going to end up as paperwork on my desk anyway!"

The queen takes off down the halls, running through the palace with a carefree smile on her face as she has an idea. She knows she had responsibilities and duties, but if there is one thing she learned from her eccentric and otherwise hyperactive younger sister, she learnt that there are just some things in life she just cannot separate herself from any way she puts it. She then picks up her dress as she then heads down the stairs quickly, going down to the lower level feeling liberated all of a sudden from work.

"Lord Amadeus!" Elsa calls, running over to him, "Uncle!"

Lord Brenan bows, surprised not just by her sudden appearance, but how she has used that honorific, "Queen Elsa, whatever is the matter? Whatever do you need?"

"I am going downtown to the contest and I am going to spend time with Anna." The queen replies, while catching her breath, holding her sides with exhaustion, "I've just finished nearly a week's amount enough of paperwork. I need a break and I promised myself that I would spend more time with Anna and more time outside of the palace walls."

"It'll be good for you to go out for a surprise appearance once in a while, Elsa, that's all I can say." Amadeus replies, before looking to one of the servants, "Prepare an escort and prepare Queen Elsa's horse, at once."

The servant nods and goes to handle the orders given. Elsa composes herself and stands upright, to end up meeting the amused smile of her "uncle". Usually, it would be expected of Anna would be the playful and otherwise erratic one with her running and bouncing around the palace. However, Queen Elsa can all but be the same sort of playful and whimsical young woman underneath the mask of being the Queen of Arendelle, underneath the almost mysterious and isolated figure she was for thirteen years. After Elsa dons a more than decorative cape, she then goes outside with her uncle and the lady in waiting following her where her horse is waiting for her among others, being held by one of the palace guards.

"So she is actually going to leave the palace? She has duties on her side that she has to get out of the way before the festival." Nadia asks, saying it quietly to the queen's honorary uncle

"That is something you'll never understand about my nieces, Miss Nadia..." Lord Brenan comments as he is handed the reins of his horse, "But I've known them maybe longer than you'll ever have and frankly... As they say, if you cannot beat them, join them. Now are you coming, Miss Nadia?"

"I... I will ah... I think I'll stay at the palace, my lord." The lady in waiting awkwardly replies, taking a few steps backward, "I think I have a few chores to do any way."

"I see, well, there is always next time then." The nobleman says as he mounts his horse

The lady in waiting curtseys, "I wish you a safe journey, Lord Brenan..."

"Please. You can call me Amadeus. I'm not that big on titles anyway." He says as he nods respectfully back to the young woman's show of respect

"Are we ready?" Elsa asks as she approaches upon her horse, receiving a nod of conformation back from the noble. She may not look like it, but she actually knows a thing or two about horse riding and equestrian. Taught by this said uncle how to ride horses from when she was already learning how to write her name and could dress herself properly.

With one hoof print of the horse after another and the sound of clattering of hooves against the stones means that the procession continues forward. The young queen rides forward with her adopted uncle by her side as they leave through the almost-always open gates. It seems a little strange with every time she exists through them, as she never really knew what it was like on the outside, as she would usually isolate herself away in her room for those thirteen years before now. Back in the palace courtyard, Nadia waves goodbye to the procession as it is the least she can do before heading back inside to continue some of her chores.

* * *

Anna stands beside a podium, riling herself up to speak in front of the audiences that have gathered in front of it for her to present the awards. Her boyfriend, Kristoff all but stands to the side as he all but watches on with intrigue as his girlfriend just stands there going through the motions like an actor about to go onstage. Funnily enough, he likes how eccentric and fun she can be aside from the side of her given a learning curve in growing up that she had all but started since the beginning of that journey they had shared which ended in their love beginning. In the last six months, Anna is told countless times of the expectation that as a come-of-aged royal to now have all the duties that her sister cannot handle and now that the maybe biggest event, depending on its success in this inaugural year, in the whole of the social calendar is coming up... She may need to demonstrate more maturity then, and it does not hurt to practice.

"Well, feisty-pants are you going to fight them or are you going to give a speech?" Kristoff quips, with an amused smirk to his girlfriend

"I'm working up to it. I've never exactly done social events before." Anna replies, while still getting herself into the zone, "Besides, you know it's like three days until the Winter Festival right? Well, Elsa wants me, you know, to..."

_"__On behalf of the organising committee made up of staff members from some of our schools across Arendelle, we would like to give warm congratulations to the entrants of today's contest..."_

"To what?" He asks with intrigue

"To... act... umm... A little less like myself and a little... err... more mature?" She uneasily replies with a slightly hesitated laugh

_"__We have seen all the entrants today and given out awards accordingly to the primary and some of the junior secondary school participants, but now we have the grand prize to award for the best of all of these snowy creations. Of course, we have here today..."_

"Why would Elsa ask you to act like that, Anna?" Kristoff asks, surprised to say the least why the queen would give her sister such commands

"Well... She said that it is the biggest event of the social calendar now besides next year's celebration of her coronation, and she says that I am representing her by being out on these events and she says that I have to... you know... act with a little more maturity." Anna replies, uneasy to say the least about talking about what she has to do ahead of the Winter Festival

"It seems a little crazy to be asking you-"

_"__Give a warm welcome to today's guest judge, the Queen's sister and our elegant princess, Princess Anna."_

"I have to go. We'll talk later." Anna interjects, now noticing her cue

The Princess walks forward, putting on a slightly forced smile as she greets the cheering crowd of onlookers with a wave as she walks over to the podium. Everything simmers down while she looks over the crowd... Even if she is outgoing, the only problem she has at this moment is trying not to embarrass herself and then too embarrass her sister by making the wrong decisions on words in front of all these people, the very problem that most young royals have. Anna then looks down on the pre-prepared speech that Elsa had written for the occasion before having to cancel ahead of a mountain of paperwork being there for before the festival.

The procession quietly arrives at the entrance as Anna approaches the stands and Elsa then dismounts her horse before placing her finger to her mouth; the universal sign to be quiet. Lord Brenan, noticing what his niece would be thinking of doing, quietly orders the Guards to go around the area. Elsa places up her hood and Amadeus does so as they head into the crowd to blend in, following her lead, as she wants to be there right now, but not to interrupt what is Anna's time to be important for the kingdom.

Anna clears her throat, as she then looks down on the notes before up again to the crowd, "Citizens of Arendelle, it comes as a great pleasure and... a great honour to be the judge of this contest today. It may have been short notice that my sister, Queen Elsa, placed me upon this duty when she was disappointed to say couldn't be here and she sends her apologies, but I have enjoyed my time as a judge and to see what children could create with what... uncannily is what my sister's powers consist of: snow and ice."

"Before I present the award to what the other judges and I thought was the best in show at this contest, I would like to thank everyone for the turn out to this first event of the inaugural Winter Festival week and would like to congratulate all the winners and the entrants of the contest too. Give yourself a round of applause, you guys deserve it."

Elsa looks up at the podium as the crowd claps and cheers by the princess' direction. With a little bit of pride in her younger sister's public speaking abilities, sure, she was worried for a minute that she would stuff up somehow, but she mayn't have anything to worry about at all come the festival in a couple days. Getting the notion that she should hurry things on, Anna then ends up waiting patiently for the clapping to end before she speaks again.

"Well, it comes as a great joy that I now name the winner." Anna says as she is handed a piece of paper, "And the winner is a young, nine year old, Miss Heidi Rose. Congratulate this young lady, as she is the winner over all of this contest. Congratulations!"

There is clapping and cheering as a young nine year old girl walks on the stage and collects a small trophy with a snowman on it and a card saying that she is the winner and not what. The girl gives Anna a small, a little haphazard curtsey as she receives the award and the princess just chuckles with admiration for the little girl's efforts. Elsa just claps, not just in the general congratulations the crowd is giving the winner, but also for her sister for handling this contest so well. Especially when she was supposed to be the one doing it after all before things came up and got in the way.

As the crowd disperses, Anna re-joins with Kristoff and Olaf as she comes down from the small stage from which the podium was at and Elsa then begins to walk that way and Amadeus, although caught off guard for a moment, and then follows the queen as they walk over to the three of them as they talk amongst themselves.

"Anna, you did terrific." Amadeus says, lowering his hood as they approach the three of them

"Uncle Amadeus! I didn't know you were here?" Anna responds, excited, happy and confused as to why her honorary uncle would be here when she thought he was busy with the prep work for the festival in a couple days

"Well, I'm not the only one ditching their duties to come down here." The uncle says with a happy smile across his face

Elsa lowers her hood, "You did wonderful, Anna."

Taken by surprise, Anna suddenly latches onto her sister in a hug and Elsa decides to hug back, as happy as she is to be here and to be with her. Anna honestly thought she would not even come, since she was told by her that she has been busy and that she could not make it, but she came. Something that has really brightened her day aside from having this gig as a judge as a snowman building contest and just having time to share a few laughs and a talk with some of the citizens.

"I thought you wouldn't make it." Anna says to her sister once she lets go, "What changed your mind?"

"Well, I just decided to come, not much to it. Besides, after the amount of paperwork I had dealt with today, I think I needed the time away from the office." Elsa replies, being somewhat honest to her sister before turning her attention elsewhere, "It is good to see you, Kristoff, how are you?"

"I'm well, thank you." Kristoff replies, "And you, Queen Elsa?"

"I'm fine, actually better now that I am fulfilling a promise I made..." Elsa replies, before having a realisation, "You know, you can call me just by Elsa, right? I'm not exactly one who is much for having someone who is so close to my sister having to keep titling me when we're not in formal company."

"Alright, I'll take a note of it, _Elsa." _Kristoff humorously replies, receiving an amused laugh from his girlfriend Anna and a smile and roll of the eyes from the queen herself, "See, Anna gets it."

"Hey... I have an idea." Anna suddenly pipes up, before looking to her sister, "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Elsa smiles and grabs her sister's arm suddenly to her surprise as she then starts dragging her, "Let's do it then! Let us go build a snowman. Uncle, you're coming with, so are you Kristoff."

"Yeah, let's build a snowman!" Olaf cheers, following the sisters

As the sisters head off, the two men are finding it hard to keep up with the young women as they run along behind them. Of course, the one who would still struggle to keep up more than the nearly fifty-year-old nobleman would be the ice master who had only met Anna six months ago and only started dating after the great thaw happened. Even when she keeps growing up as she does, she still is an exuberant bright spark as he knows her for and she seems to have a lot of strength and speed, even for a princess.

"How do you manage to keep up with these girls, Lord Amadeus? I don't know how you do it?" Kristoff says to his girlfriend's "uncle" as they run along

"Well, I've learnt to just go with it, lad." Amadeus replies, just keeping up and running ahead with the girls, "I've told the girls countless times that life is worth living and well... now they finally have gotten the picture."


	2. Chapter 2: The Winter Festival

Chapter 2: The Winter Festival

The decorations are set up all throughout Arendelle and the townspeople dressing in their finery as the night has come. It is the early morning of the day of the first annual and the much inaugural, Winter Festival and everyone is getting into the spirit of it. Dresses of the ladies and young girls and suits of the men and the young lads all are themed in winter colours and all decorated in snowflake designs like the banners that sway in the breeze with the Queen's personal snowflake adapted onto them, which would be there along with another banner of the kingdom's emblem, the crocus. The final touches come together now in the morning, ice sculptures polished perfectly ahead of the day's events and the final decorations hung, it all but seems impatient of some who are all but just waiting for the events to begin.

What they will plan to do today is a small ceremony this morning where the queen will declare the festival open and to begin. Immediately afterward, there will be winter-themed games and events for young and old who shall want to attend and have a little fun. Those held all through the day before a large-scale celebration in the middle of the town by night which will bring everyone, young and old, nobleman and peasant together in a large celebration which the Queen and her sister, the Princess are due to attend. All of this done under a day, which may be a little on the chilly side, but is a nice day in the light it is in the middle of winter, without a single cloud in the sky.

On the day of the celebration, the palace is abuzz with activity relating to the event, even when the majority of the work for the event is being contributed from the people, the palace and their staffs is helping with its fair share. The catering preparations going on in the kitchen in the palace as they all are working to contribute at least half of the foods that will be at the celebration tonight. The servants are helping sort out the rest of the decorations and banners they are sending to the town square, which are taken there by some of the volunteers from the royal military and all of it supervised by the royal guard for the main organiser of the event. –Lord Brenan actually receiving much praise for all the work he has done in the planning of an event that is actually bringing everyone together and one that his favourite niece, Queen Elsa, felt most passionate in wanting happen.

Elsa is in her chamber standing out on the balcony overlooking the courtyard with all but a smile as she looks down on the preparation work that is underway still. It is a couple hours until the event and she looks a little less formal than normal, as she is in all but a dark blue robe over her pale blue nightgown and her platinum blonde hair hanging loose and free. Just above the queen, a figure that is perched on top of the tower roof, which has a view of the young queen, they sit and observes, drawing out a knife...

"Queen Elsa, your dress has arrived!"

Elsa then walks back inside from the balcony, closing the doors behind her and the figure then disappears from his perch, leaving a carving of a sword through a broken snowflake behind as they disappear. The doors are open as two servants wheel a covered board into the room, they bow to the queen before leaving and Nadia closes the doors behind them before coming back over to the cloaked item.

"So, my dress has arrived, yes?" Elsa asks, as she comes back in and looking over to where her lady in waiting stands beside a covered item, "Well are you going to do a dramatic reveal or are you going to uncover it for me, Nadia?"

"Presenting... Your Winter Festival Gown for the first and inaugural Arendelle Winter Festival." Nadia announces, as comically as she can get since her mistress unintentionally asked so

The lady in waiting pulls the fabric cloak off the dress, presenting before the queen a beautiful gown that is all but embodying the theme of the event. It comprises of an off the shoulder, floor length dark blue dress with the outer layer of the skirt, the chemise and the sleeves the dark blue colour and all but covered with a print of snowflakes. The chemise is a sweetheart bodice, which the centre of it is covered with light blue sequins and snowflake buttons that cover the centre of it. All of it is the same colour of the under layer of the skirt which is ice blue and snowflake covered as small as the ones on the chemise centre. All of the hems and edges and otherwise is decorated with light blue lace and there is a cape which is light blue and snowflake, just like her Snow Queen cape.

Elsa takes a step forward, walking around the dress, "It's beautiful... Send my complements to the seamstress. I do have to say that it's beautiful..."

"I'll let them know you love it." Nadia answers, with a happy smile, as she all but is happy that she likes the dress, "Your bath has been drawn, milady, and I'll get the accessories and have the dress taken off the dummy in the meantime."

"Well alright then." The queen says, as she walks over to another section of her chamber, before stopping and turning back "...Oh and Nadia... Thank you, really, for all the work you do around the palace."

"You are welcome, your majesty." The lady in waiting replies, with a nod of respect

Elsa stands near the curtain on the entrance to this wing of her chamber and pulls the rope on the curtain, which then goes across to join the other one. Acting as an obvious to least signal to give, and respect her privacy. The bath is full of warm water and bubbles, with steam coming off the water and smells sweetly of jasmine soap as she approaches it. She takes off the robe and then hangs it up on a holder before taking off the rest of her garments and throwing them to a basket in the corner –as it is the least a queen could do is to clean up after herself sometimes. Elsa ties her long platinum blonde hair in a bun that sits on the top of her head with a ribbon as she then heads over to the bath and stands there a bit... She is often nervous when it comes to water, especially as before she got her powers under control, she could at times end up freezing it when she loses what little focus she had about it. She then takes a breath and closes her eyes, holding her breath as she reaches forth with her hand first and places it into the water. She then recoils it away suddenly as she then opens her eyes, as it remains warm and not freezing over at all.

She then decides to get into the bath and remains a little apprehensive, but remembering the words that the Troll King and somewhat shamanic mage, Pabbie, had told her when she was a little girl, fear is her enemy, and remembering those words, she tries to remain calm. She then manages to get into the bath and she all but feels relieved when nothing has happened to the water. –Not that cold, or worse, frozen water would matter too much, as she is actually cold resistant to the point where she is one who would sit outside during a blizzard of all things and be okay and now that she can unfreeze her little cyrokinetic accidents, that too is something else on top of finally having control.

Elsa otherwise breathes a sigh of relief as she ends up relaxing a bit, as her mother once told her that a good bath is good for ridding the stress, as well as making sure that her "little princesses" as she put it when they were little were as sweet as they should be.

* * *

On the other side of events for the other member of the royal family, Anna is already dressed in a teal and blue, ankle length dress with white trims and some snowflake prints on her skirt as she is wandering, or just randomly meandering around the palace, with little to no plan whatsoever of what she is doing. Having a bit of a curious stickybeak at the happenings of the rest of the ceremony day preparations, all that her foster uncle is so busy taking care of, before... she comes across the wonderful smell of chocolate. Coming from some small cakes that the caterers are bringing out and have left there to get sent on the next round of deliveries that will be made. –And like the sneaky little girl she is underneath the grown woman exterior, she cannot help herself but to want to take one.

"Anna, didn't your mother ever tell you that you shouldn't have too many sweets?"

She turns around and her bemused boyfriend, who knows by now what she exactly is up to, has caught her... Especially knowing at most of her little "up to something" signals from then he got into a convocation with Lord Brenan about the warning signs that she is clearly up to something. She immediately dons a guilty smile for the least, all but knowing that she could be in trouble here.

"Well... It's chocolate, honey, and... Oh I just want one." Anna replies, in her defence

"Anna, your sister is counting on you this holiday to act in a civil manor and stuffing your face full of chocolates…" Kristoff says, taking her hand, "I hate to be a party pooper…"

"Which you're being right now by restraining me from the sweet… chocolaty…." She says drifting off topic as she gets even more tempted by her one weakness

"The only thing sweet here is you, dear, and you're sweet enough." He says, starting to walk off in the other direction, dragging her along beside him, "You look beautiful, by the way."

"Thanks…" Anna replies with a flattered smile, her immediately mind snapping back from her chocolate-induced trance, " Might I say that you look handsome, Mr Ice Master and Deliverer of Arendelle. I never knew you were one to wear noble attire."

"Well your uncle kinda insisted that I dress sharply…" Kristoff comments before catching himself in the reflection of one of the windows, "Do I look fruity at all?"

"No, you look handsome, like I said." She answers, also looking to the reflection to see how she looks also, "And very princely I must say."

"So when is your sister going to join us?" He asks

"Well last I heard she was taking a bath so... Depends, she may be down eventually. Hell, she spends more time on her appearance than I do." The Princess of Arendelle says, while noting a hair is out of place before moving it back behind her ear, "So, you ready to party?"

"Well I've never been to some sort of celebration where I've been asked to dress like some noble before when I've been raised by trolls my whole life, so I guess I'm open to give it a try." Kristoff replies, interlinking his arm with his girlfriend, before putting on an exaggerated posh voice, "Besides, your chariot pulled by a reindeer awaits, milady."

"Oh, how kind of you, sir." Anna replies also in an exaggerated posh voice with a laugh, before a pause, "Wait, don't we have to wait for Elsa?"

"I'm sure she doesn't mind us getting there early." He says before walking over to the sled with Sven standing there harnessed to it, somewhat looking fancy as he is wearing his medal around his neck, and Olaf sitting inside of it with a decorative sash around him and a small, possibly plastic crown on his head, "Besides, the guys are getting impatient."

"Hi Anna!" Olaf waves, as they approach as he is sitting inside the sled, "Look, I'm dressed up too!"

"I mostly see Olaf looking like a king of the snowmen, but... Seriously, I think we have to wait for my sister." Anna says, being serious about the matter

"Okay then, bossy-pants, we'll wait." Kristoff submits, before getting out a carrot from his jacket pocket and giving it to his reindeer, "Looks like we're waiting a while, Sven."

_"__Aww, I thought we would get to go soon..."_ He then says as the voice of his reindeer

"Yeah, I know, but then again, its women, buddy. Gotta keep them happy and from what her uncle said, she gets much worse than we saw up the mountain when she's mad." Kristoff then says in his normal voice, "Besides, I think she's taking today as much as a big deal as her sister does."

* * *

Upstairs, Elsa has gotten out of the bath and has gotten dressed and she is all but having the final touches done. Her hair braided in a single French braid that hangs behind her with dark blue and snowflake ribbon braided through it to a bow down the bottom, her bangs and fringe framing her face and a crown on her head. She wears a small amount of makeup, including dark eye shadow and some mascara with some lipstick and her face is all but clear with the small dusting of freckles she has across her cheeks.

Nadia goes to take off her apron she has been wearing all morning, she is to be wearing a lighter blue dress than the queen, one that is covered in snowflake designs and she wears her fawn brown hair, which is her nickname sake, tied in a bun on the top of her head. Elsa then looks to some gloves she has beside her on the side table, long before now she would have never taken them off and always worn them, but she then puts them back in the draw, as she knows how to control it all now. She then looks up as there is a knock at the door and it opens, revealing her foster uncle behind it.

"Elsa, are you ready?" Lord Brenan asks as he enters, before looking to the two women in the room, "My, why look at that, you both look quite ravishing."

"Thank you." Elsa says, before looking to Nadia who nods back, confirming what they are both thinking, "We'll I guess we're better ready than never."

The three people then walk down through the winding corridors and then down the stairs and out to the courtyard as the last of everything was sent and the setup, as he has heard, is almost complete for the later events and is completed for the opening events now. There is a sleigh carriage waiting outside for them, and Elsa is waiting to get in is when she sees her sister. She all but smiles as she looks upon a smartly dressed Kristoff picking up her sister playfully while putting her in the sled pulled by a reindeer which she knows is called Sven. She may have her ifs and buts about her sister, primarily the lack of maturity she often has whenever she has that stray moment where nothing is asked of her, but all Elsa could want from Anna is that she is happy. She knew the torment that she put her sister through of 13 years of crushing boredom and loneliness as she confined too in the palace walls as much she had been, but the least of what she thinks now is that Anna has someone in her life now to give her that whenever she is a little too busy.

Amadeus all but bows a bit with respect and outstretches his hand to the lady in waiting, "After you, Miss Nadia."

"Oh... Ah... Why thank you, Lord Amadeus." Nadia replies a little flattered and a little awkwardly, fumbling over her words as she then takes his hand.

"Elsa, aren't you going to get in?" He then asks the queen, after noticing how she is staring off into space a bit, "The events are waiting."

Elsa shakes her head, snapping out of it, "Oh, yes... Thank you for reminding me, uncle."

The lord then helps the queen into the carriage before waving over to Kristoff and Anna, getting a wave back as they all begin to head out as a procession to the opening ceremony of the celebrations ahead of them. Elsa all but sits by the window as she admires everything that passes by her eyes. Even when she has lived in this kingdom her whole life, since spending half of her life inside the castle walls, everything just always seems new, as it changes every time she sees something in the last six months she has been queen.

* * *

Fanfare plays as everyone has assembled in the middle of the town square, all awaiting the official party who are about to arrive. Their carriages approaching with a clatter, clatter, clatter of the hooves of the horses –and reindeer- that are pulling them along with the Palace Guard riding ahead of them flying banners and generally on the watch. Elsa looks out on the passing crowd that line the streets to their arrival, cheering and waving flags, her uncle giving her the suggestive nod to wave to them. She then begins to wave to her people and it feels like the cheers get louder. She always seems to have a standing ovation with the citizens of Arendelle, even when at one time, she was feared because of the powers she possesses, but since the Great Thaw, she is all but loved, respected and admired by her people.

The carriage pulls up, Lord Brenan gets out first and secondly the Lady Nadia, and as his foster niece all but gets out after him, the cheers get louder as she emerges with a slight confident wave to her people. She all but walks ahead as the sled, drawn by Sven comes up, the Princess of Arendelle and her boyfriend dismount from it amongst the same amount of cheers. Sven budges Kristoff in the back as they stand there waving and he turns around, pulling a carrot from his jacket coat.

"Sorry, buddy... You can't come with me this time and I don't think you can come tonight to the party here either." Kristoff says to his reindeer with carrot in hand

_"__Aww come on, buddy, why can't I come with? What difference does it make when we used to party back with the trolls all those times and they didn't care."_ He says in his deeper voice as he puts on as Sven

"I know, I know. It's a royal thing, my friend... If I want to be with Anna... Well... I kinda have to get used to all of this royal stuff as she has to get used to being around the trolls whenever they get... you know, out of hand." Kristoff then says in his usual voice, before giving the carrot to the reindeer, "Now run along and there will be more of these coming your way."

He then pets his reindeer friend on the head as one of the Royal Guards then ascends the sled and he nods as it is taken from the entrance. He huffs a breath as he then turns to look at Anna, who has a sincere smile on her face as they interlink their arms. She knows how hard he is trying to try to fit in with the high society stuff as well as she can handle it as a dysfunctional and unconventional princess, but she at least has to be thankful for a boyfriend like him to go that distance to do these things. Besides, she has to behave a little in this as she has to for Elsa and now that Elsa is queen, she has to do it to make sure her sister looks good in the eyes of their allies and whatnot. Olaf them comes beside them, looking spiffy himself in a red necktie as he then runs forward and receives a standing ovation himself, Anna all but laughs slightly and Kristoff rolls his eyes, thinking to himself how much a show-off the little snowman is being right now.

The official party then takes onto the stage at the head of the pack with Royal Guards all but around the place watching the perimeters. Lord Brenan, Nadia, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and some others of the official party sitting by and Anna is sitting by a throne that is all but for Elsa. The Queen then takes the stand, a little nervous as she has never usually been a people person up until now because of the isolation she had experienced growing up, but she'll at least not let it get in the way of her duties for this event.

"I declare this event open!" Elsa announces, a roar of cheers coming from the crowd

Elsa all but raises her hand with a stream of energy going toward the sky to explode into snowflakes as everyone cheers to make it official. As Elsa then takes her seat, suddenly performers begin their routines for this opening ceremony. Dancers dressed in snowflake clad outfits twilling about in ballet-styled choreographed routines that would have taken months to devise and to practice until perfection and until someone's shoes would start filling with blood is how much they would have practiced their numbers. –All but to impress their queen and her entourage of invited guests and to impress the people as their celebrations begin after a whole week of waiting and activities to get them by. Once their last poses are stuck, everyone raises their praise of cheers, Queen Elsa rising from her throne in applause with the rest of the official party. -Olaf too clapping as best he can himself to fit in with his arms of twigs.

* * *

The whole day progresses as the daytime events are carried out. Games are played, contests are won by skilful competitors and snacks, some of them chocolate based that Anna cannot simply resist that is, are tasted and eaten. However, it comes to the most awaited event of the day aside from the games and festivities that had taken place over the daylight hours. Once the sun sets over Arendelle and the moon rises, a toast is raised and the ball begins underneath the stars. People young and old, noble and peasant are gathered underneath the stars in the middle of the city for a ball amongst the cool of the snowy, through clear and starry, night. Queen Elsa sitting at the head of it all on her ice throne at the officials table, watching on the dancing with a slight pout, even though she is comfortable sitting there still as she isn't much of a dancer. Amongst those who are on the floor include the couple of the adoring public eye, her sister and Kristoff and she all but laughs as they dance about.

She has been happy for Anna as she had actually found love with a man such as Kristoff instead of the decision she made with that... traitorous and scheming Hans. The very notion of mentioning that name is much off-limits about anything after nearly killing her and Anna as well by wanting her to freeze to death, all but to usurp the throne just because he is youngest of thirteen children of the throne of the Southern Isles. –Of course, Hans got what was coming to him and the results... not exactly pretty to be honest when the man has twelve brothers and a king father willing to look the other way for _just_ a moment while he gets what he deserves for the treason. That is before letting the justice system have at him with a lengthy jail term for the least of his problems.

Out on the floor also, her uncle and lady in waiting. When asked after Elsa simply all but rejected a dance because she, boarder self-consciously says that she doesn't like to dance, when he asked Nadia had all but been blushing in giggle. However, with a few words from said queen and her employer, the lady in waiting just went with it.

"This is quite fun if I must say so, milady." Amadeus says, jovially dancing with the lady in waiting to the joyful music that plays in the background, "And I must say you are quite a natural at dancing. I actually find it quite a relief that you haven't trodden on my toes... Anna does that a lot by accident sometimes, but i can only blame myself as I was the one to teach the girl how to dance in the summers her family would spend at the vineyard."

"I see. But for her often lack of grace she does make up for her adventurous spirit." Nadia answers, while gracefully dancing with the nobleman, "So you knew the sisters when they were young, yes?"

He breathes a bit of a laugh, "Knew them? My dear, I am their uncle and the Queen's godfather and I was there when they were born back in the days I had been married to my late wife, bless her soul. Knew them, lass, is an understatement to me as I am practically family to them."

"Oh... Ah, pardon my mistake then..." She awkwardly replies

"You didn't make any mistake, lass, so there isn't anything to apologise for." Amadeus replies, all but trying to make sense of the situation, "But moving on, I must say that you look quite ravishing in your ensemble."

"Thank you..." Nadia says, with a bit of a flattered, "I designed it myself; inspired by Elsa's dress she wore when she came back from the mountain, the Snow Queen dress."

"Honoured with being a handmaiden to the queen and find time to make a dress as well as you have made this one? I must be standing before someone who can better manage their time than I." He then comments, admitting the worst of having a very misplaced schedule, "Now if only I had the time for those sorts of things as I always have something coming up everywhere at the moment. Heavens above, I actually didn't do much with my hair compared to how you've done yours. I hear you have a doting nickname because of it."

"Fawn. Everyone calls me Fawn... Or as the Chief of Staff calls me 'Fawn Rose'." Nadia informs him

"Well, then it's decided, Miss Nadia Rose. If you address me as Amadeus, then I have something to return the courtesy for as I can call you Fawn..." The nobleman says as they continue to dance, "If you're okay with that, that is."

"I'm fine with it, _Amadeus_." The lady in waiting answers, saying the nobleman's name for the least of their agreement, "Besides, it'll be the first person from the palace will say it aside from Elsa sometimes... Well except for Chief of Staff all but ends up saying 'Stop slouching, Fawn Rose' or 'you're doing it wrong, Fawn. That fork is supposed to go there and that spoon over there.'... A right jerk they can be."

"Oh, yes, I can only but agree when it comes to those people, Fawn... I may be a respected nobleman, commander and former ambassador of this great nation, but those people can right criticise. I can dislike, but I can live with, only up until when it goes too far and becomes that of crude satire and inflammatory comments." He then admits, before the music comes to a stop and he all but bows to her, "Oh, why don't you look at that, looks like the dance has ended. Now I don't know how time goes fast like it does, but until next time, yes?"

She curtseys, "It would be my honour... Right now I could go for a drink, excuse me."

* * *

Meanwhile, Elsa all but sits there as the music begins anew and another dance she is all but getting a little lonely as she sits at the official's table by herself. Of course, even if she had brought it unintentionally upon herself, she all but wishes that she had someone to keep her company. As of now, her sister is off with her boyfriend as they just about amuse themselves with dancing and cakes. That and her foster uncle have moved on to speaking with some of his political allies in an array of chatter and her lady in waiting that he was dancing with is now over by a punchbowl getting a drink.

Queen Elsa then gets up from her chair and then begins to head over to where Nadia is before she suddenly is bumped into by someone and falls over onto her butt. She then looks up and there is a hand outstretched toward her by the other party, "Are you alright, Elsa? Oh god, I-I am so sorry."

Elsa looks up, to see a young man no older than she is with his hand outstretched. As she looks up, staring at the young man, staring to his wavy light brown hair with bangs that drape down on top of features that of she oddly remembers somehow and that of resembling to that of her uncle, Lord Brenan. Staring to his dark blue eyes, something that indeed differs from Amadeus as his eyes are brown. She is caught in a bit of a stare as she then remembers something that she could have forgotten from thirteen years ago as it starts to come back...

"Petyr?" Elsa mutters, looking up to the young man, remembering who he is now, "Petyr, is that you? My god... I haven't seen you in a long time"

The young man, Petyr Brenan, nods as he helps her to her feet, "Ah, err… Yeah... I may have changed over the last thirteen years, but still me."

It all comes back to her now. Lord Petyr Brenan, who is the same age of 21 also and named a young noble lord, but a few months older, was like a cousin and even a brother to her growing up. He was her playmate when she was a little girl, starting as young as when they were babies, all of this before even Anna had come along. She remembers those times when she would run about the palace when she was five with him and their fathers would often try to keep up while their mothers all but laughed and rolled their eyes. They were playmates right up until that day where she would happen to have the accident and since then... they never saw each other again as she just couldn't allow that because of the powers being the obstacle and the one thing that forced her into isolation.

The Queen then hugs the near brother she remembers from so long ago suddenly, "Petyr... How didn't I recognise you before, eh?"

"Well, I don't know... It's a pretty packed crowd." Petyr replies in a slight quip, hugging his friend and near sister back, "It's been a long time... You've changed so much from when we were kids, you've grown up. If I may, I'm glad to see you, actually... and am really sorry for that. Like me to end up bowling over the new Queen..."

"Well you're forgiven, my friend." Elsa says with a smile as they then part and stand a pace apart, "If I have to say something, I should be the one giving the compliments... You've changed so much from a little kid, I'll say since it's been a long time... I should be the one apologising for the thirteen years, and I must ask where you have been."

"Well I've been travelling to be honest, seeing the world since I've had the time on my hands." He answers, answering her question, "But enough of living in the past, I must really say that you're the one I have to say is the real one to thank for this celebration. It's been fun, actually."

"Yeah... It has, it has." She then says, while trying to make convocation as best she can

"Hey, how about we catch up a bit..." Petyr then says as he then bows, "Would you like to dance, my queen?"

"I'm not much of a dancer... but okay, I guess." She says, somewhat cautiously taking the man's hand

They then exit on to the dance floor and Elsa's cheeks begin to alight to a soft red underneath the makeup as they waltz around the room. Elsa has always been one who can be self-conscious about her dancing, the whole thing something that she doesn't care to be comfortable with, especially from when her powers were all but out of control sometimes, and she had happened upon a few accidents. She remembers a time where she ended up tripping up this young man when his father, Amadeus, was teaching the both of them simple dancing two years before the divide. Knowing how many accidents and also how much she detests dancing, Petyr starts a convocation about the summers, Easters, Christmases and holidays they had missed when she went away. But without raising the sadness of the missing out and crippling loneliness, he moves on to talking now about all about his worldly adventures over recent times before he came back to Arendelle and the amusing of some. A shadowy figure stares down from behind a chimney on a house that overlooks the town square…

Petyr attempts to flick his hair out of his face, to no avail succeeding, "Oh well… At least I tried. So then, Elsie ended up hiding in the palace gardens and we were running around yelling her name and dad all but in a tizzy… You know how he gets."

"A sign of a caring man is how much he panics when his daughter is in danger… as my father said once." Elsa says, looking down for a moment to her feet for a moment and then looking back up, reassured by the absence of ice, "So where was your sister then? I don't believe a now six year old could have gotten far."

"When I found her, this three year old, she was sitting by the fountain feeding the birds with pieces of her croissant and dad then had an idea. Stay with me on this one, Elsa…" He then says before a slight pause, to when he twirls her around as per the next move before continuing, "He ended up getting one the third oldest Westerguard Prince we were staying with to summon the court portraitist suddenly. We all but stood around the corner as dad wanted a drawing done, painted later, of my sister feeding birds from these finch things to the bloody peacock that tried to nip at my heels when we came."

"Is it at Rose Blossom then?" The Snow Queen then asks, wondering if this portrait made on an impulse is back at the vineyard manor of the Brenan family, Rose Blossom Manner

"Yeah, it is." Petyr replies with a nod of his head, "Among other things over the years dad has obtained. He has not stopped collecting his books, his music pieces, swords… You know, the same old same old since dad really hasn't changed that much over the years aside from what happened after mother died."

"It's almost that time of the year, isn't it?" Elsa then asks, once he mentions the late Lady Brenan, his mother, who had died a little more than three years ago, no more around the same time as her parents.

The man nods, slowly, "Yeah… Dad will be spending time in the garden he placed up to remember my mother by in a couple months from now. It is a rose garden with cherry blossom trees. He made it so it looks beautiful by the spring when-"

The lights suddenly cut out, the town square turning dark with only dull moonlight the only thing that allows them to see. The whole event comes to a pause, everyone in ramblings as the attendees try to work out the happening. A figure peers down from a hiding place all but above and in a perfect view of where Petyr and Elsa are standing, drawing a throwing knife as they look down on the confusion.

"What's going on?" Elsa asks, looking around for one of the commanders, "Uncle Amadeus, where are you? What is happening?"

Petyr then looks around also before something gets in his eye and he looks over to see a glint of silver amongst the darkness, a blade. He then suddenly grabs Elsa and pushes her out of the way, her powers reacting with an ice wall created behind Petyr who falls to the ground. Elsa and Petyr then look up as a throwing knife lodged into the ice protrudes through it. It is before soon that cries and yells from fleeing attendees echo around, as a figure runs along the rooftops, the soldiers firing arrows from crossbows at it in reaction.

Petyr then gets up and rushes over to Elsa, helping her up, "Come on, we have to get out of here."

"Wait!" Elsa exclaims, as she begins to be dragged away, "What about your father, or Anna, we can't just take off without them."

"I know that my father is a swords master and I know your sister can fend for herself and with that bloke that she's going out with, Kristoff his name, I think she'll be fine." He replies, stopping in the tracks before pulling her again, as a dagger barely misses her, "Come on, we have to get you out of here, it's an assassination attempt!"

Agreeing as for how close that dagger was, she then picks up her dress with her free hand while the young man, her childhood friend, drags her behind him as they dash through the pandemonium of the crowds. Elsa clenching her dress as a dagger keeps trying to nip at her heels and her ice magic is trying to shield her. _"Oh no… The Ice…_" Elsa thinks through her head, before looking to the hand hanging onto her dress, the fabric around it frosted slightly. Not just her being and the will power she has learned to keep it in check control her ice magic, it also is controlled by her emotions and can react to whatever she feels.

_"__Elsa, keep it together…"_ Elsa thinks to herself as she tries to keep up with her friend who is more dragging her than leading, _"I can control it."_

She then looks to her feet as another knife comes crashing down to the pavement, just missing her as she all but continues to run. Truly, beginning to panic as one more centimetre closer and it would have taken her down and her trail begins to be dusted of ice as she stumbles, losing one of her heels as she gathers herself before losing the other. Elsa has never liked to be barefoot, especially as she is a being of such power and her whole body can conjure ice, she will at least wear socks or stockings when meandering around her chambers on the lazy days, but never barefoot.

Petyr looks back, as his glove begins to get a little frost on it, "Elsa… You are beginning to-"

"I know…" Elsa says, apologetically, "Just get me to my carriage before I end up freezing your hand."

"Oh well, a little like old times then." He says, before stopping suddenly, "I hope you're not heavy for all that magic you have."

"What do you-?" The Snow Queen is about to ask

She all but lets out a sudden squeak as he scoops her up and begins to carry her as the target is becoming near in sight. Elsa pulls up her sleeves over her hands, as she thinks she might have to do that. She then looks back as the figure that was running along the rooftops is gone and as she looks back to see their target is in sight, something suddenly leaps out in front of them. Petyr then stops, placing the queen down behind him as he then draws his sword defensively.

"Who do you think you are attacking this celebratory occasion and trying to kill our queen!" Petyr says as he stands in front of the queen, "Who are you anyway? Show yourself."

"I am a man who was all but a victim of that bitch's cursed powers…" The cloaked figure speaks, drawing his sword in return

"How dare you…" Elsa growls from behind Petyr, who tries to hold her back with his arm, knowing of how dangerous she can get when she is mad, from hearing about the mountain attack from some of the Guards, "Attacking me and this festival and calling me such a profane word? Why I ought to…"

"You couldn't fight even if you tried, Elsa… You are weak, spineless, a coward and a monster that will doom us all with your ice magic." The figure then retorts, stepping forward while Petyr and the queen step back a bit, "And I will destroy you before you do."

"Elsa, run to the carriage." Petyr orders

"What?!" Elsa exclaims in response, "Petyr, you're not going to-"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. My father is the best swordsman and fencer in Arendelle, of course I would know how to fight some amateur off." He says as he then blocks a sword attack from the opposing side with his own, "Just go and don't look back as this'll get ugly! And I hope to see you around soon!"

Petyr and the enemy, this cloaked figure who threatens the very life of the queen, engage in a rapid sword fight. Elsa, while out of the focus for a moment of the hit man who threatens her life runs away as quickly as she can before looking back, to see swords being swung and jabs being evaded and sidestepped frantically. Suddenly, Petyr is barged, sending him rapidly stumbling backward into a snack table that collapses on impact, Elsa closing her eyes for a moment as he is covered in cakes and treats that fall with her friend. She opens her eyes again to a gasp as the enemy swordsman as his sword pointed toward the nobleman.

"Well, you're no son of a swordsman I'll tell you that." The cloaked swordsman says

"Sure, I may have fallen out of practice…" Petyr replies as he looks down and ice begins to frost the stone pavement, and he all but smirks, as he knows that she would never shy away in the face of danger, "But at least I know that I always have someone whose always got my back."

Suddenly a wall of ice is sent flying at the cloaked figure and they are sent flying off into one of the ice statues that line the town centre in decoration with a large smack, leaving a crack in the middle of it. Petyr looks up as Elsa is towering over him, her arms crossed and her face with an amused smirk on it.

"Thirteen years later and I somehow have to get you out of trouble. And this time it's not swiping the cookie jar with the chef wanting to come after you with a cleaver." Elsa says, somewhat amused of the undeniable fact of history repeating itself

"I'm my defence, we were only nine years old then…" Petyr replies as he gets up, placing his sword away before brushing off the food that landed on him, "You know, I could of handled that myself. I may have fallen out of practice, but I still know how to make a guy cry for his mummy when it comes down to it."

"I couldn't just leave you, Petyr. Last time I left someone by themselves and it had something to do with me they ended up nearly dying and some upstart prick nearly usurping the throne." Elsa then says, walking away a few steps, "Now come on, you said it yourself, we have to get out of here."

"Well, the carriage isn't far now." Petyr says as they begin to dash away, before he looks back, noticing that the attacker is gone, before looking back, "Elsa… Elsa!"

Elsa then looks to her side as a chair comes at her suddenly, knocking her from running to the ground in a hard thud… Hitting her head on the ground and the world going black like the last time an object came spiralling toward her, the chandelier in her ice palace that night that came crashing down.

_"__Elsa!"_


	3. Chapter 3: Picking up & Gathering Pieces

Chapter 3: Picking Up and Gathering Pieces

A horse in full speed gallops down the icy path, hooves clattering with urgency on the icy brick bridge to the Arendelle Palace. A chilling breeze blowing in the rider's face blowing the light brown wisps of his bangs haywire across his face, Petyr looks down to the limp figure of a woman wrapped in his own cape he holds within the grasp of his left arm, his right tightly grasped on the reigns as they ride across the bridge. Elsa moans with a pained expression gracing her face, the first sign of any sort of life since nearly fifteen minutes ago as she has an already swollen bruise on the side of her forehead.

"Open the gates!" Petyr shouts as he is coming up to the palace, "Upon the fucking gates this instant, it's an emergency!"

Despite the use of the foul language, the palace guards all but pull open the gates with a heave-ho as the stallion the nobleman rides comes charging through them. Palace staff comes out of the palace as the horse Petyr rides comes to a skidding stop on the icy pavers in the palace courtyard and then dismounts the horse.

"Call the royal physician, immediately." Petyr orders as he approaches the entrance to the palace, carrying the affected party, "And tell them to have been here already as the Queen is injured and unconscious."

"Yes, of course, at once, Lord Petyr." Kai replies being the first of few to answer

Members of the staff follow as Petyr then heads up the stairs of the palace, to take Elsa to her chambers. Despite having some pain himself in a few areas from the fight he was involved with, with the hoodlum who had dare done this to the Queen of Arendelle, he ignores it with as much adrenaline as possible as he carries her up the stairs. –Although she is a little heavier than he last remembers her thirteen years ago- He comes to her chambers as some of the members of the staff go ahead and open the doors for Petyr. Going into the room, Petyr then goes up to Elsa's bed in one of the wings of the room and then places the queen down as gently as he can, especially since it may be more than just a concussion they could be dealing with.

"Get the lord a chair and some water and cloth." A women orders

"It's fine... Just a superficial cut, don't worry." Petyr says as they bring him a chair, the man dropping onto it as the adrenaline that he has had the last few minutes begins to wear off as there is a large slash in his coat and shirt to his skin, he has a bleeding slash from off centre of his back up to his left shoulder, "Don't... Just leave it. I'm fine; just tend to Elsa before the physician gets here darn it. Put her hand on her head, it has been recently used so it should be cold enough to help with the swelling of the bruise."

Petyr sinks down a bit in the chair, in the background one of the staff place Elsa's hand on her head. Breathing heavy to try to ignore the pain from the slash, when Elsa fell unconscious, he engaged in another fight before he rushed to Elsa's side and the moment he was going to pick her up, the attacker's sword went across and upward in a sharp slash. He could have ignored the pain, as he has felt worse before as a young man who has done such things as climbing trees and up cliffs and sword fighting in his youth, but now as that adrenaline wears off, the pain is a sworn reminder of his own mortality... At least it did not hit his spine if anything important. There comes yelling from down the hall as the doors open and the royal physician enters in a rush. Behind them come a few more to the scene, a fawn-brown haired lady in waiting, a light-brown haired middle-aged man, a strawberry-blonde haired young woman and a golden-blonde haired young man. All of them close to the Queen of course as among them the strawberry-blonde the younger sister, Anna, but the royal guards and staff at the doors all but have other plans for this party of few.

"Elsa! Elsa, oh my god...!" Anna exclaims, seeing this glimpse of her sister, sooner obstructed by the staff that is trying to turn her away, Petyr looking on this spectacle with a turn of his head, "Let me past, you have to let me in. My sister-"

"I'm sorry, but you cannot enter at this time." One of the Guards say to the Princess as the doors are being closed

"No, please!" Anna pleas, her boyfriend trying to hold her back, "I have to be with her. I have to be with my sister... Let me in there! Please... Don't shut me out again!"

"At least let me in, I am her majesty's lady in waiting and I know Elsa maybe as much as her close family do." Nadia rebuts to these orders, adding her input as tries to get around Anna and Kristoff who also is holding her back, "Or at least Lord Amadeus as his son is in there and he is the Queen's uncle!"

The guards then manage to get them away from the doors as they begin to close, "Again, we are sorry, but please remain outside the chamber for the time being, thank you."

The doors close and Anna looks on them with concern... The doors have closed again, for once in the last six months her sister's doors have shut in her face again like the thirteen years before and once again, Elsa is behind these doors in a situation that could be in her control if she was able to say the words. Kristoff takes Anna's hand and wraps her in his protective embrace, the only thing he can think of doing right now as words escape this master ice harvester. Amadeus looks to his niece and she looks to him and Kristoff with a distressed look as if asking if they can do something but her uncle closes his eyes and shakes his head in silence.

Anna falls limply, Kristoff trying to support her weight as she falls weakly to the ground with tears welling in her eyes. It is more than just the fact that her sister is injured is the problem here and that she, no less herself, were in the midst of an assassination attempt on one of the days they were supposed to have fun and spend together as they were meant to a long time ago. The doors have shut in her face again when she thought that it would never happen again, Elsa promised that it would never happen to her again...

_She promised_...

* * *

The clocks tick by, reminiscent to those childhood hours Anna spent alone that made up most of her days in those thirteen years spent separated from Elsa by doors such as these. Whenever her uncle Amadeus was too busy with work or whenever Petyr was off with his tutors and whatnot and later off travelling the globe when his father became an ambassador, she would spend hours sitting around and the clocks would be the only thing she could hear.

The grandfather clock rings out –Midnight and they have been sitting there in the silence for about two hours. Anna sits in the embrace of her boyfriend Kristoff, who has been gently consoling her tears with a soft pat on her back, holding of her shaking hands in his own and having her rest against his chest with her head poised under his chin to whisper comforting things in her ear to try to help. Anna then looks up as her uncle paces the length of the hallway, back and forth... He has been doing so erratically as it is more than just the queen and his niece in that room when his son is in here too... and as he had heard injured as well in the line of the sudden protective duty. The strawberry-blonde's blue eyes then dart over to Nadia, her sister's lady-in-waiting whom had all but fallen asleep and her uncle had managed some more chairs into this makeshift bed of which the young woman is sprawled across with her arm as a pillow and he used his cape as a blanket. –Anna smiling as her uncle is quite the selfless man when it comes down to it.

The door opens and Anna suddenly darts up as Kai, one of their senior members of staff, exits the room with all but serious look on his face. Kristoff follows his girlfriend as he then stands and Amadeus himself stopping his erratic pacing to wake up Nadia so they can hear what he has to say as this may be the only thing they could hear all night from what is going on in that room.

"Is Elsa going to be okay?" Anna is the first to ask, the nerves ravaging at her system to the point where she could not take this deafening silence anymore.

"Yes, Queen Elsa will be fine, your highness." Kai answers, much to everyone's relief as if a massive weight has been lifted off their shoulders, "Although, she is still unconscious."

"And what of my son, what of Petyr?" Amadeus then asks, "Well spit it out man, is my son alright as well."

"He is currently getting his wound attended to, but Lord Petyr will be fine, my lord." The servant answers

"Can we enter?" Kristoff enquires as he is next member to speak from the group, "My girlfriend is in desperation to see her sister, Lord Brenan needs to see both Elsa and his son and enquire about this incident as well and Nadia is the Queen's confidante and handmaiden. I wouldn't see any reason to deny us access."

Kai opens the door and holds it open for the group, "Of course, you may enter, but remain quiet if you may please."

Anna dashes forward, however Kristoff pulls her back and gives her a look which all but means 'he said be quiet'. She comprehends it and takes it at a slower pace as they enter the Queen's Chambers, with Amadeus and Nadia following behind them. The four enter the wing to where Elsa's bed is, there are servants, and helpers all but around the bed and around Petyr they are attending to now they are finished with Elsa. The people in the room not busy bow and curtsey with respect to the Princess of Arendelle, who comes to her sister's bedside with her boyfriend behind her for moral support.

"Elsa..." Anna whispers, gazing down at her unconscious elder sister who is a slight she has never seen her as before. Elsa's hair was all done up properly with ribbons and her crown earlier this night had become very messy when she would always be so prim and proper. Underneath a slightly frosted, damp cloth is a purpled bruise from the impact of the incident, when she fell to become unconscious in a quick blow.

Anna looks over to the other side of this wing as the one protecting her sister treated for a nasty cut and he came out of it no better looking than her sister did from the looks of it as he sits there being examined now shirtless. One of the servants holds the jacket and shirt that have this bloodstained tear across the fabric and as they turn him to show Lord Amadeus, the father and Nadia who is standing by him and Anna has the same thought as they look to this awful mark that had been left behind with a slight wince of emphatic pain.

"Petyr... Where the hell did you think you could get away with such a reckless display?" Amadeus asks, in his fatherly tone rather that of a commander, "Talking on that... thug like you did, yes I had heard about the fights you were involved in tonight with that bastard, but... Petyr Adgar James Brenan, I cannot find the words to express how I am feeling right now about this matter!"

"Pardon yours?" Petyr responds, fighting the pain of it to rise to his feet despite the arguments of the physician to level with his father, "I don't hear a thank you, because if I didn't act quicker Elsa could be dead, father. If I didn't end up getting her out of harm's way, if I didn't end up bloody picking her up when she was down, if I didn't end up taking that horse... she would have been far worse than being unconscious."

"Boys, settle down." Nadia interjects speaking up, being the voice of reason as she comes between the both of them, "You are both gentleman of the realm and it is bad enough that we had this incident tonight no less spent two hours waiting on if our queen was alright, but there is no reason to be at each other's throats."

"She's right." The middle-aged nobleman and father says before stretching a bit, "You know what, I have to have a word with the authorities right now about this and to start the investigations by morning. Petyr, I'll need you to give me a recount later of the situation for this so we know what we're dealing with."

"Yeah, maybe when I'm..." The son says before wincing in pain as they continue to clean the wound, "Maybe when I'm not in searing pain."

"Of course. You know I didn't mean right now, yes?" Amadeus then says to his son with a look

"Ah, yeah, but still, not now while I'm basically feeling like I've been dragged through a whole field of thorns, razors and other pointy objects that can cause searing pain when inflicted on the body." Petyr replies, giving back a look before wincing with pain again

Amadeus then turns to some of the servants, "Make sure that my son gets back to Rose Blossom Manor safely under an escort and tell me when Elsa has awaken and tell her that at some point I'd like a word with her also. I'm going to speak with the authorities."

Without another word, Nadia hands Amadeus his cape in which he let her use as a sort of blanket from when she had her rest in their waiting time and he smiles at her before draping it over his shoulders. In this same silence, he takes off out of the doors of the chamber that then close behind him. For an attempt on the life of a monarch, of course this is going to have to be investigated, as it is more than just a top priority. There had been some injuries aside from these two as fleeing bystanders caught in the crossfire ended up getting injuries from the crowd pandemonium of fleeing and much else that was caused in the chaos of the moment. Yet tonight Arendelle quakes in unsureness and fear as caped hoodlum who was clearly trying to kill their beloved Queen Elsa ruined their first ever celebration of this event since the new queen had taken the throne six months before.

* * *

The dawn of a new morning in Arendelle, seven hours after the event had ended in disaster and amongst the chirps of birds waking in the early light of the early winter morning, there is only silence. Sprawled out on whatever they can get comfortable on in the Queen's Chamber, close family and the queen's handmaiden are asleep like the queen who has been unconscious since the incident, but with every half-hour interval checked on, is still alive. Anna is cuddling with Kristoff, as they lay sprawled on a lounge dragged into the wing by servants before they left at the same time as the royal guard escorted Petyr home as per his father's orders. All the while Nadia had fallen asleep in one of the armchairs placed by Elsa's bed with her head resting a little slanted on a pillow. Not the most comfortable positions to sleep in and Anna did say that she could sleep on the couch if she wanted, but the lady in waiting all but didn't mind sleeping this way, just as long as she gotten sleep.

Anna wakes up moving a bit which disturbs her boyfriend, Kristoff, who moves a bit himself as he places his arm over his head as if to block the sunlight out of his eyes to get more sleep. As Anna gets up, her boyfriend rolls over and she just fixes the blanket on him as he stayed up maybe longer than she did last night as it was a stressful few hours they were awake for, and he was her emotional support through it all as she at one point crumbled into tears. Anna stretches and then looks in the mirror and her hair is a mess from how she had it the night before, but she could not care less right now, as her focus of concern is lying there on the bed.

The younger sister slowly approaches that of her elder sister, Elsa, as she lies there unconscious still. She then eyes the cloth on her sister's head as she touches it; it is dry although slightly frosted still as her sister's powers often do this sort of thing to things that have water on them. She does not know how long it has been since they changed the cloth, but from what they told her about checking on her every half-hour, it must have been a while since they had changed it. Wary of her sister's active powers in her subconscious, Anna sheepishly and slowly makes her way to removing the cloth, taking her time to put her fingers around every corner as per not wanting _another_ accident occurring because of her powers. Once away from the body which is all but a conductor of cyrokinesis, Anna has no problems in rinsing the cloth but as she goes to put it back, she notices a bit of a bump on her sister's head, not as overtly massive as she once thought and it was last night, but still bad. She slowly places it on Elsa's head before the Snow Queen twinges a bit in a wince and moans as frost forms around the cloth in reaction.

"A-Anna..." Elsa mutters as she begins to come conscious, "Anna!"

"I'm here." Anna replies as she then takes a seat by the bed, trying to ignore the powers, which are becoming active as she takes her hand, "Elsa, it's okay, I'm here."

"Get away from her!" Elsa suddenly shouts as she looks to move into a night terror, "Leave my sister alone! No... No!"

Elsa suddenly jolts up in fear as she wakes up in a scream, enough to wake Nadia and Kristoff from their slumber on the side off the room to rush over to the Queen's bedside. Anna withdrawing her hand away as frost forms around her hand in an icy chill, blowing hot air onto it among other methods to help it warm up.

Elsa then suddenly latches onto Anna in a mess of hyperventilation and tears, "Oh thank god, thank god in heaven... You are safe and alive and... Thank god."

"I could say the same thing to you." Anna says as she hugs her sister back, "It was an assassination attempt and the servants say that when Petyr brought you back to the palace, you were out cold."

"Petyr..." Elsa mutters before placing her hands to her mouth, "Oh good god, Petyr... Where is he? Is he alright? What happened after I blacked out?"

"The doc said he'd be fine and he's back at Rose Blossom resting up, as per his father's orders." Kristoff says, having his say as he sits on the side of the bed next to his girlfriend, Anna, "The guy had one hell of a cut across his back I'll tell you now, not to mention he looked petty banged up after all he told us about when he got you out of there after that loon blindsided you."

"And what of his father? What of Uncle Amadeus?" The snow queen then enquires

"He is in an investigation into the incident at the moment, your grace." Nadia answers, her turn to at least say something in the discussion, "Lord Amadeus has asked that he would want to hear your side of events as to what happened last night in the investigation that he is handling with the authorities. Shall I let him know when you'd want to do this then, if you'd want to that is?"

Elsa nods her head, "I'll tell him all that I know, and you can let him know that."

"While I have yours attentions your highnesses and Mister Kristoff, would you like to have anything for breakfast?" Nadia asks, feeling the need to do so as her duty is to be helpful whenever needed and tend to the queen in all matters possible

"I don't expect you to do such things after last night, Nadia. You look exhausted and I bet sleeping uncomfortably in here didn't help that either." The queen then says to her lady-in-waiting, who then gives her a gesture to sit down, "Kai!"

After a few brief moments of nothing, the door open to that of their servant, Kai, entering with a swift bow to the royals in the room, but of course is all but somewhat happy that the Queen is awake. –Despite how early said queen is awake.

"It is good to see that you are awake, your highness." Kai says with a respectful bow, "Is there something you need?"

"Yes, breakfast for me, my sister, and my sister's boyfriend there and for my lady in waiting." Elsa orders, all but showing that she is still the very decisive leader she is despite this setback, "Oh and if you could get the physician to get me something for this headache, it would help plenty, thank you."

"At once your majesty." Kai answers with a nod, leaving promptly afterward

* * *

Amadeus paces the scene back and forth as soldiers and the national police all but section off the area with barricades and all else to keep the crowds from entering this scene under investigation. A light dusting of snow covers everything in the hours that have passed since 10:23pm last evening, but one thing remains the same. A protruding block of ice in the northwest corner of where the dance floor was with a knife sticking through it. From it being trails of daggers, which then lead to ice with these same daggers sticking in the ground all the way to this once place where it stops in a large area of ice. Around it being a broken wooden chair and a collapsed table with cakes and other foods on the ground on a spoiled tablecloth. There are more trails until nothing and a large splatter of ice being where the broken chair is behind it. –The whole tracking of where Elsa and Petyr were escaping to last night in the frenzy.

The noble lord then goes back and walks along this tail all but looking to the rooftops to where this assailant went from and in what directions he was going from the angle of his daggers pointing. He then picks up a dagger from the ground, picking it up and analysing it. Finely crafted from how he looks at it as a swordsman and fencer, and it has this insignia skilfully engraved into it of a broken snowflake with a knife going through. –Something that all but induces thought as to what it could mean this symbol. Most likely, someone who is against his niece, Elsa as per the snowflake being the symbol most represented with her. However, who could hate Elsa?

"Lord Brenan, come quickly!"

Amadeus perks his head up as one of the soldiers call for him and he heads over to see what they have found. When he first arrived on the scene, he sent some aside from the barricading to search for anything strange in the area or anything to do with evidence and by this call; they must have found something of importance. Amadeus comes over to the ice statue of the Queen Elsa, what was last night a marvel of craftsmanship and it's beauty as marvellous as his cyrokinetic foster niece, now desecrated with its head cut off of the body and one of the arms missing and both lying on the ground in pieces. Upon looking however, there is a dagger lodged into where the heart would be and unlike those daggers, it has a note affixed under it as it stabs through the ice. Amadeus pries it out of the statue and takes the note, looking at the seal on it being the same as the insignias on all the daggers as he pries it off with the dagger before handing it over as evidence.

Lord Brenan then walks over to the captain of the guards with the letter as he reads, _"Elsa will pay with her life for what she has done... Her powers are a curse on these lands and the monster herself a curse to us all and Arendelle does nothing to stop her and they all but love and protect this monstrosity and let rule their kingdom although almost destroying it with a blizzard. This very celebration is an insult as it all but is celebrating the bloody thing that nearly destroyed your kingdom..._

_Next time she won't be so lucky..."_

Amadeus looks down with a grimace, folding up the letter and placing it in his jacket pocket, "Someone is making threats to kill Queen Elsa. Find more information if you can, captain, I have to visit the palace. And send orders to increase the presence and numbers of Elsa's guards."

"Yes, sir." The captain replies before looking to his men "You heard Lord Brenan, search the area for more information. Take one of the daggers to the blacksmith for their opinion on it and see if they could provide some information on anyone who could create such things. Some of you will return to the palace immediately to increase the guard numbers on the palace grounds so more could be with Queen Elsa."

As Amadeus walks off, the authorities continue the investigation and the analysis of the area. Lord Brenan then mounts his horse and then waits as those returning to the palace chosen and then these seven mount their horses. Lord Brenan then rides ahead with the guards following behind him as they are going to the same destination, despite their reasons as to why. Although only being Arendelle's Minister of Foreign Relations in Elsa's court, he is determined to get this brute that dares make threats against his foster niece, the Snow Queen and also was the one who left a little more than a gash on his son.

* * *

After the physician again came and visited, they gave Elsa something her headache and to help bring down the swelling of the bruise, Elsa has gotten out of bed and she is having her hair brushed by her lady in waiting, Nadia. Although they have advised her a few days' rest, there is nothing wrong with the queen aside from just having that tumble. Everything is working and working well, nothing broken or shattered and she is still as fit as a fiddle and strong as she has always been. Lastly her powers... Well they are as strong as ever as proved the tests they had done.

"How do you want to wear your hair, Elsa?" Nadia asks, while running the hairbrush through the queen's platinum-blonde hair

"In a low-hanging bun today, Nadia. I'm not really one in the mood for nothing really complex." Elsa replies as she watches her lady in waiting do this chore, it is all but quiet for a moment before Elsa then has to ask of one thing, "I saw you dancing with my uncle last night twice, another time after I told you to before... _that happened_."

"Oh ah... Yes, milady, I was." Nadia replies, the question getting her off her guard for the moment to even think of an answer while she places down the hairbrush on the dressing table

Elsa chuckles playfully as he turns her head back to her lady in waiting, "I saw that look, Nadia, not to mention have noticed all those times where my uncle speaks to you and you all but have those cheeks of yours redden up so instantly like lighting a candle. Your cheeks are reddening up too just on the thought of it. I guess I was right to make you go dance with my uncle last night after all."

"What are you suggesting, milady?" Nadia asks, while placing a hand to her cheek that has turned red

"Oh come on, Nadia, you can tell me, we're both grown women here. You are twenty-seven whilst I am twenty-one, both grown women who can have a love life if we so choose. No wait; it's an order from your queen." The snow queen says in a playful spirit

"I suppose I like him. He's so nice to me and he's pretty handsome I suppose and..." The lady in waiting answers, whilst getting the bands to put Elsa's hair how she wanted it, the Snow Queen then facing the mirror again, "But what _I_ should be asking you is if you like that Petyr, milady. You usually never dance and then I saw you dancing with him last night."

"I ah... Why you sly woman you..." Elsa remarks when realising that her lady in waiting has just done the same thing back to her as she did a minute ago to her: put _her_ in an awkward position, "You have it all wrong, Petyr and I were childhood friends when we were little kids, ever since we were babies I suppose. It was just the first time I had seen him since the, well, _incident_ thirteen years ago."

It comes Nadia's turn to laugh as she finishes Elsa's hair, "You said that we're both grown women here, Elsa."

"You're right. I was foiled by my own logic." Elsa replies with a laugh as she picks up a hand mirror and then looks at her appearance using the two mirrors, "But if my uncle ever asks you on an outing, let me know as I'd want to help with that. Think of it as my turn to dress and pamper you for a change. My uncle is a nice man aside from being a widower, and I can tell he likes you too."

"That would be very kind of you, Elsa." Nadia says with a smile, with a bit of honour, as the queen would want to do that sort of thing for her for a change

There is a knock at the door and Nadia then goes over to get it, exiting the wing of the chamber and speak of the devil, Amadeus is there behind it taking Nadia with a bit of surprise. She expected of course that he would come by to see Elsa, but not right when she herself was in a different kind of interrogation. There is a bit of a silence, in which he looks at her with an amused smile as she then mentally kicks herself to say something.

"Oh, hello, Amadeus, here to see Elsa, I assume?" Nadia asks, at least getting the first words from inside of her head to come out, _"Oh why did you say that... Stupid, stupid, stupid..._"

"Is she up, Fawn?" Lord Brenan asks

"Ah, yes, she's by her dressing table." She replies before looking back to the queen who throws a robe over her nightgown to look somewhat presentable, "Elsa, your uncle is here."

Elsa then goes over to the setting in the middle of the main part of the chamber and then stands as Nadia opens the door wider to let the nobleman, the queen's honorary uncle inside before closing the door. Amadeus approaches the setting and nods respectfully to Elsa as they then both take a seat at either armchair of the setting.

"It's good to see you're alright after what happened last night, uncle." Elsa says, breaking the silence, "Would you like something? Nadia brought me morning tea that she thoughtfully prepared herself and as how good it all looks, however... I wasn't very hungry to be honest."

"Elsa, like any caring relative of yours I have to say that you should be eating. Even if I know how much you would want to watch your waistline, you should still be eating." Amadeus says in an authoritative voice before looking to Nadia and his look turns to that of a more softer one, "Did you make those chocolate pastry things again, Fawn?"

"Yes, my lord. Would you like some?" Nadia says before looking to Elsa who gives her an encouraging nod and gesture in the background

"I'd love some, of course with some tea." The nobleman then says to the lady in waiting before looking back to his niece, "Seriously, not even those things? You don't know what you're missing then."

"Don't blame me, uncle, like I said I wasn't very hungry." The Snow Queen replies, defending her decision not to have any of the food, "But at least they're not going to waste now."

As Nadia then is busy doing that, things go quiet as Amadeus then goes to speak once again in the authoritarian voice, "My queen, if I could be serious for a moment, in regards to last night's attack on the celebration, I'm afraid I have some findings that will come across as somewhat distressing."

"What did you find?" The queen asks, herself becoming under a serious demeanour

Amadeus then takes the note out from the inner pocket of his jacket and leans over the small coffee table to hand it to the queen. Elsa then reads as Nadia then approaches Lord Brenan with his requested snacks and the cup of tea and places them down before him, receiving a soft thank you in return. The lady in waiting then notices Elsa reading and the face that the queen is making as she then approaches and reads over her shoulder the words on that piece of paper before placing her hand over her mouth in shock.

"They're threatening me?" Elsa asks as he looks up from the page with shock, passing it to her lady in waiting, "Uncle... How could this be?"

Lord Brenan picks up the cup of tea, "I don't know, Elsa, but this is a serious threat being made against the crown and the kingdom, especially after what happened last night. I have taken the precautions in mind and I have increased your guard in and around the palace and in front of your chambers, as well as making the police more on the look for anything suspicious in the town and the Guards to be more wary here in the palace. That and I have sent orders to have the blades analysed by a smith so if we could find out where the blades were forged. We will find the underlying cause of this, I am sure we will. No one threatens my family, especially my nieces."

"Then I suppose you'll be asking me my side of events?" The queen then asks, before looking to her lady in waiting and nods, maybe she will need something to eat after all, "Nadia, some tea, please."

"Yes, my lady." Nadia softly replies, going over to where she had placed the morning tea stuff she had brought in again

"When you're done, Nadia, would you mind scribing what she says for me?" Amadeus then says, directed toward the lady in waiting

"Yes, my lord." The lady in waiting says, while pouring some tea for the queen

Nadia then returns with the cup of tea, setting it down by the queen who then takes a sip of it and takes a deep breath. She would not think that recounting it would be this difficult, but it did take a toll on herself as her powers were involved without her control and she panicked, oh how she felt afraid for the first time in a long time. Nadia then sits down at the desk and inks the quill, awaiting the first words to come out of Elsa's mouth. She begins to scribe as Elsa begins to tell her uncle what happened on her side of events. Painful to recall as she starts to feel a hurting on the side of her head when come to the part about the chase, about nearly being hit time and time again and everything else until she was stuck with the objected blow that made her fall. He asks questions and Nadia records them too, especially the answers as everything here could help plenty as that note all but threatens something they would not want to see happening.

"I think this would be all, thank you, Elsa." Amadeus says, before getting up from his chair and nodding with respect, "For mine and the kingdom's sake, do get some rest over the next few days."

"I will, uncle." Elsa replies with a nod of her head, "Nadia, wrap up those cakes in something for me. I may want them later."

Nadia then places down the quill and rises from the chair with the pages and then hands them over to Amadeus on her way past. Lord Brenan himself looking upon everything to make sure that nothing missed at all; all the while, the scribe herself is busy gathering up the morning tea items that had been used during this informal interrogation. Porcelain cups and plates stacked and taken over to a silver tray before more plates make their way to the tray as she cleans up, merging uneaten snacks onto one plate on top of the stack.

Amadeus then picks up the tray for Nadia, "Allow me."

"Thank you." Nadia says before noticing that Elsa is giving her a sign to go with, "And allow me to get the door."

Elsa has a slight smile on her face as her lady in waiting she is giving these slight pointers to opens the door for her uncle and both leave. As much as Elsa wouldn't know much about love or dating since she locked herself away from the world for thirteen years, but she knows when people do like each other from looking at her sister's relationship with Kristoff and how smitten they are to each other. Of course, she could obviously know a crush from what happened with her sister's –not counted as a relationship in her books as he used her to get to their throne- short betrothal to Hans and how, well, fallen she was for this prince whose motives were only for his own gain after all.

Elsa then gets up, walks over to her closet, and looks in to a whole score of dresses, "I may as well get dressed."

* * *

Meanwhile, Nadia is walking down the hall with Lord Amadeus. As confided to her manager, Elsa, the twenty-seven year old is quite enamoured with her foster uncle, and after what had happened last night, for the time they spent together had some merits, aside from the downside of having to flee the attack on the celebrations.

After the celebration attacked, despite her protests of wanting to be with the queen as she saw the dagger through the ice, she was ushered to a removal much like Petyr had haphazardly done with Elsa. Amadeus changed her mind on it, and although a little forcefully, took her hand in the monkey-grip, his hand around her wrist as they hurried out a back way through the streets of the capitol with royal guards ushering Anna, Kristoff and the little snowman Olaf with them. Brought to where they waited for an escort back to the palace, a whole twenty minutes passing and with the wind picking up they could have arrived sooner. Some soldiers had then come with Kristoff's sled that has Sven pulling it and they rushed back to the palace, unbeknownst to them Elsa and Petyr were rushing there, the both of them injured in some way.

Nevertheless, the real thing was their waiting outside the Queen's Chamber was one of the better moments, despite being in a difficult spot of where it had been total and utter crushing uncertainty. As Anna had all but broken into hysterical tears comforted by her boyfriend who was stoking her back and cuddling her because they refused to let her be with her sister, Amadeus directed his attention to the lady in waiting, who took the uncertainty not that well. She had been his niece's lady in waiting since her parents died, and over those three years, she would be basically the only one Elsa would confide in and over the last six months, they had formed a better friendship as the queen become more open and carefree. They had a discussion before Nadia had come to falling asleep half way into the two hours they would spend sitting outside that chamber last night. Of course, he did the kind gesture of making things as comfortable as he can for her as they waited and he even contributed his cape as a sort of blanket. –Unbeknownst to this very well educated peasant girl that had come into becoming the Queen's lady in waiting that the Snow Queen's honorary uncle is quite fond of her as much as she is over the three years no less that they have known each other.

"I must compliment you on your baking again, Fawn, because those snacks are quite brilliant really." Lord Brenan says, breaking the silence amongst them as they walk along the corridors, "I might even ask you to cater my daughter's birthday if you can make a birthday cake as well as you can some biscuits and pastries."

"Well I thank you for the compliment, Amadeus." Nadia replies inwardly blushing to it and the fact that he is using her nickname with his charming accent, "I may not be from some... privileged background, but what I've learnt make up for it is better than any monetary worth can buy. My mother taught me to bake by the time I was able to figure out flower from sugar, which was when I was about four."

"And you're more than just competent in this skill. I'm surprised that my niece isn't in any way chubby whenever you make any of her meals or snacks." He quips, the both of them having an honest laugh as even Elsa would get the joke as he has a good sense of humour

"Well wonder that too I suppose, but then again being a being with all the power she has, I suppose a lot of energy must be used." She then says, as they then head down the staircase

Amadeus follows her having a thought, "True, I have to agree there. It actually raises a question; I do actually wonder how much of a toll her powers can have on her body. You see her father, bless his soul, never actually did see to the full extent of her powers and up until this year she never did so herself until she made her ice palace in the north mountain and creating Olaf. It shows what she is capable of, but still... Leaves many questions unanswered, but that would have to wait for another time of course."

"Yes... Now wouldn't be the time for such things when there is a nut out there who threatens her." Nadia responds, before coming to bit of a silence, before she stops, "You know... I hadn't of gotten to thank you."

"Whatever this for, Fawn?" He responds, stopping beside her

"For making sure I was alright last night. Sure, it was in the line of duty the first part of after things broke down at the party, but when we were waiting... Thank you." She explains, while grasping her hands together nervously

"Just what I'd do I guess, especially when you're one friend my niece has had in a long while whom she actually has to confide in when heaven knows she doesn't like talking about her feelings." Amadeus replies, putting a slight smile on her face, "And I'd do anything to make sure a young lady like you would be alright after something crazy like that happening."

They then continue walking down the stairs in silence before getting to the end of the stairs to go their separate ways, he handing her back the tray for her to carry to the kitchens. With a swift bow and curtsey exchanged, they go their separate ways and Amadeus looks back to Nadia who then turns around and smiles at him before continuing on her way as he then turns to head out, placing the neatly written pages in his inner pocket. He then hears a call as his niece, Anna comes running and takes him in a surprise hug.

"Uncle, how are you since last night?" Anna asks

"I am well, Anna, and right now am in the middle of something important." Amadeus replies to his niece who then becomes downcast, "Now I'm sorry, lass, but I have to get going. I'll see you later."

"Alright, goodbye then uncle." She then replies a little downcast, but as she has learnt from years of often shoved aside because of family members being busy... or even avoiding her for the safety reason, she would rather find something else to do.


	4. Chapter 4: Calm in a Brewing Storm

Chapter 4: Calm in a Brewing Storm

Horses trot up the icy paths in the southern-more parts of the main city of Arendelle. Elsa said she was supposed to be resting over these past few days, but with the one thing she had to do in mind, she could not just get it out of her head while she sat around her chamber and meandered around the palace grounds. Although usually games of chess and getting around to reading some more books she has been putting off because of the demands of the throne would be a blessing on a day off, it can get somewhat boring after a while. Of course, Anna has been around and they gotten to spend some time together –within the palace grounds- playing in the snow like children with their snowman Olaf, but at the end of the day, it is nothing too... impressive... but she is grateful for the time she has had if she can spend it with Anna.

Instead, while she has the time since she is supposed to be on rest, she decided upon an outing and dressed appropriately for it even before her lady in waiting had come to wake her up. Nadia rides beside her and although the girl has ridden horses, as she would tell her mistress of how many times she would go on horse rides during her childhood, but she remains a little hesitant on the matter. Especially as she is carrying a small box, which Elsa had instructed her to bring, and only is using one hand to control the horse as it trots along.

"It's only a little fervour, Nadia, so don't freak out or anything." Elsa says to her lady in waiting

"I'll try, milady..." Nadia replies

They then arrive to their destination, Rose Blossom Manor, the home of the Brenan noble family for many generations. It is a seaside private estate, which also has their own vineyard on this large piece of land and makes their own wines, as well as a bit of a private dock where her uncle's yacht is docked most of the time. Her uncle is out, yes, as he has gone to make a briefing with the other ministers on what is going on and to make a long-awaited release to the press, but she has not come here to visit to her uncle. She promised herself she would visit the manor at some point, but instead of waiting for the summer to come around, she came to visit now. They come to the entrance, Elsa dismounts the horse and the house's servants take care of it. She then looks back as her lady in waiting is trying to get down before the captain of the guard, who is leading this tightly guarded escort, then helps her down, much to Nadia's embarrassment and Elsa looks on amused, trying not to laugh as her lady in waiting tries to gather herself.

"What is with you and horses, Nadia, I must ask." Elsa enquires, as her handmaiden comes to her side

"It has been a long while since I have ridden one, your majesty." Nadia replies, as they approach the doorway, "Elsa, you may want to-"

"Cousin Elsa, Cousin Elsa!"

Taking her by almost surprise, Elsa kneels down as a young child runs toward her and she positions her leg back a bit to make sure she stays stable as she catches this young girl's crash hug, "Elsie, it's so good to see you. You've grown so much."

She looks to the young child, six years old and dressed in a soft lavender coloured gown who has golden-blonde hair and her father's brown eyes, whom she knows as the little Miss Elsie Brenan, the second of her "cousins" and her good friend Petyr's younger sister. Now Elsa may have been barely even leaving her room six years ago when little cousin of hers was born, but she for the least had seen Elsie within the first few months of her life. Definitely at her mother's funeral, her mother being the one she had gotten her golden-blonde locks from died three years ago around the time of her parents themselves in the shipwreck.

"Are you here to see Petyr, Elsa? Are you, are you, are you?" Elsie asks hyperactively, as it is more seeing her cousin the queen that has her excited, "What's in the box?"

Nadia chuckles as the young girl approaches her, "Well aren't you an energetic little lady of the realm, eh. But I do have to remind you that you are speaking to the queen. Haven't you learnt etiquette by now, little lady?"

"Oh, I forgot didn't I?" The little girl says, with a guilty look on her face as she looks to Elsa before stifling a haphazard curtsey, "Your highness."

"It's not a big deal, Nadia, she's only a child and she's my cousin and if Petyr and I couldn't master the proper way until we were nearly three years older than her age then I think she's fine." The Snow Queen then says, still kneeling down as she touches the child on her nose, before getting up, "How about we find your brother together, hm? Where is Petyr by the way?"

"I think he's in his room." Elsie replies, looking up to the queen who near towers over her, "He changed rooms since you were last here. I will show you the way, I will. Follow me, Elsa, I'll show you the way."

The child takes her hand as she starts to drag her, Nadia having her turn to near laugh as her mistress is having a hard time even keeping her headpiece on as a six year old no less has her by the hand as they go up the stairs. Elsa herself laughing a bit as she goes up the stairs with this tiny tour guide pulling her along, all but reminiscent of when her sister would do these sorts of things when she was her age. They go down an upstairs hall in this large, spacious manor that is only a little smaller than her home at the Palace. They then come to a set of doors and Elsie then stops tugging her and faces her while reaching for the handle.

"He's in here, Elsa. This is my big brother's room." Elsie informs her, while trying to reach for the handle as she is all but a small thing, before rapidly latching onto it and pulling it down and entering

Elsa follows the energetic young girl into a brightly lit room far beyond any expectation she had in mind. She walks around taking in the scenery of a large, well-lit chamber. As she enters, she takes in the scenery as it is decorated neatly as on a second level a few metres up on the far left there is a study atop a platform with shelves of books extending to the ceiling with stairs connecting it to the ground level. On the walls are swords, both decorative and for even use and fine setting furniture around the room and off to the side, two connecting wings like at her chambers, one being for the bed where Elsie has gone off to.

"Petyr, wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Elsie demands as she climbs onto the bed and is poking her brother in the face, this sight indeed bringing back fond memories of her sister when she was the same age as this little one, "Elsa is here, Petyr. Elsa is here, wake up."

"Elsa...?" Petyr says as he sits up and then looks over to see Elsa and her lady-in-waiting Nadia standing in the main wing, before coming to realise that he is not wearing a shirt, the blankets sliding down a bit off his chest to reveal his upper body, "Elsie, why did you bring her up here? I am bloody topless... Hey it's not funny!"

Elsie is laughing, "Yes it is, you're funny when you're mad."

"Alright, how about we sort this out a bit." Elsa says as she looks to her lady in waiting, "Nadia, how about you and Elsie go, let her have one of the cookies too, and go look at the paintings."

"Did someone say cookie?" The little girl enquires, getting down from the bed and running over to Nadia, "Are they in the box?"

Nadia chuckles and then places it down on the coffee table and opens it, revealing a bunch of freshly made cookies inside the box, "Take one if you want, dear."

Elsa then watches as the six-year-old then takes a cookie and begins to eat it quickly and noisily, and she has a bit of a laugh as her lady in waiting is the one trying to make an effort in telling her to slow down. However, from her uncle has told her about his daughter is that whenever food is in front of her, the table manners are almost swept under the carpets because she is quite the junior connoisseur of her foods... even if she eats like a little piggy rather than a little lady.

"I guess she liked your cookies." Elsa says to her lady in waiting

"Liked is an understatement for the least, milady." Nadia then says as she rises from kneeling down, "Now I've heard that you're in a painting or something from that father of yours, would you care to show me?"

Elsie nods her head, "Um-hmm, I'll show you."

Nadia then walks to the door with the little girl following her and opens the door before the young girl then suddenly turns back and uses the skirt of her dress as a basket as she places a whole bunch of cookies in it and one in her mouth. Elsa rolls her eyes at such a sight as the young girl makes an effort to dash across the room without dropping any from her makeshift basket. To an extent of this, her stockings and undergarments showing as she awkwardly carries her load like a harvester with apples and she finally reaches her destination with a comical self-satisfied smirk that as much looks like the one her brother always had when he was her age. Nadia and Elsie then exit the room, leaving Elsa and the oldest Brenan child alone.

Petyr makes his way out of bed, not without a bit of wincing as the wound still hurts like anything even after a few days. Elsa looks on even if she would rather turn away for the sake of it being proper of her to do so, but the white of the bandages sticking out amongst the slightly bronzed complexion that he has draws attention to itself that she cannot ignore. Especially when he got this injury protecting her a few nights ago, taking the initiative to do so when they hadn't of seen each other in a long time before that night and are childhood friends back in those days of her uncertain powers.

"I didn't expect such a sudden visit." Petyr says as he approaches his dresser, which remains half-open and getting out a shirt before looking over

"I'm sorry if I am intruding. I just came over to thank you for the other night." Elsa responds, before going over to the box and closing it, "I brought over some cookies that my lady in waiting makes. They're actually among the best I have ever eaten and it seems like your sister can agree with me on that one."

"I don't really need thanks; I was just doing what I had to, to get you away from that madman." Petyr says, fragilely placing on his shirt with a few winces, Elsa getting up to come over and help, "I can do it myself, you know."

Elsa gives him a look as he tries to get his shirt over his left shoulder without moving it, to no avail is he getting it on without it falling off. Giving up he just gives her a 'get it over with' look and the Snow Queen all but amusedly rolls her eyes, as even when he is all grown up as he is and is a few months older than she is, she always is the one who has to look after him after all these years. Elsa approaches him; she picks up the shirt and is about to put it on when she notices the bandages being a little soiled.

"Now we gotta change those bandages." Elsa says, taking the shirt off his shoulder

"They're fine, Elsa." Petyr demands, before looking over to her as she is looking for fresh bandages, "Leave it be, it'll be right. It's actually not as bad as when they changed the first bandaged they put on a couple days ago, now they were actually worse than this, this is nothing compared to that."

"I'm only trying to help." She says as she looks for bandages among everything she finds in baskets and boxes around the room, before noticing them in a basket, "Knowing that I'm responsible for that... The last time someone got injured because of me I didn't live that down for thirteen years and look where it got me."

"So you'd spend another thirteen years avoiding everyone because I got injured because I was saving your life and you wouldn't be able to live that down because I got one little scratch?" He then says with an amused smirk of his own

"Huh, what?" The Snow Queen replies, confused as she is trying to make sense of what he said, "Okay, you just got me confused. Hey, wait a minute! Thirteen years pass and you're still as immature as a five year old."

"Okay, I admit that was a tasteless joke, but... It proves my point." Petyr then says in a somewhat apology

"And what point would that be?" Elsa enquires

"That you haven't changed at all over those thirteen years, fear of powers holding you back or not." He then replies, before walking over to a chair, "If you're going to be on me like you used to be over the simplest nothings like a shirt not tucked in as 'properly' as you said then... Change the bandage."

Petyr then takes a seat as Elsa comes over with the bandages and yet she then remains paused for a moment. Although she knows how to control these powers, and she can touch people and objects now without the threat of freezing them and vice versa, her main problem here is the wound itself and its significance to the other night's pandemonium and her near death. She only got a small bump on her head, which hurt yes, but this young man here had gotten that of a savage swipe diagonally upward from fifteen centromeres off from the middle of his back. She can only imagine that it bled plenty and as she had heard, he supported her limp, unconscious body with his left arm wrapped around her on the horse and it took all of his strength to carry her, especially when going up those flights of stairs. She then shyly takes the end of it and Petyr raises his arm to rest on the top of the chair as she unravels the long strand of bandages that are around his left side. She comes down to the last layer, revealing that of his wound that has scabbed over and she herself winces as she looks upon it and how many stiches they had put in, it is ugly and horrifying to say the least the words that come to her mind, but that of she feels as though it was her fault.

Petyr then looks back to Elsa and places his right hand over the one she had placed down on the frame of the chair, "You okay?"

"It's... It's..." Elsa barely manages out

"I know, an ugly bastard for battle wound, but it'll heal in no time to nothing but a mark. But at least I'll be able to say that I got this scar defending the Queen, may not be much to say, but I'd consider it a honour I suppose." He muses, trying to sound at least positive about it before noticing the guilty look she has on her face, "Don't look so guilty about it, Elsa, It's not your fault and no one can say otherwise."

Elsa then gets the end of the bandage and then places it against the end of the wound, he winces from both the slight pain as well as how cold her hands are, as they being releasers of her powers, when she gets nervous her hands get cold.

"Sorry." Elsa mutters

She continues, although a little hesitantly as this first layer ravelled around his body over the bandage, the only covering between her, her powers and the wound itself. It becomes a little less daunting as per every layer that goes over it, as if the sight is being repelled away even though the memory may stick because of how ghastly it is to look at. She then comes to the end of it and finishes it up, and from her counting there is twelve layers between her hand and the wound, and with these bandages being somewhat thick, it comes as a bit of a relief as she is all but trying to get the image out of her mind before she loses her breakfast. Elsa then helps him with his shirt to put it on and he then does the buttons, as she wouldn't need to do that part, as he just needed help putting the shirt over his left shoulder is all.

"Thanks." Petyr then says as he rises from the chair, "I see you like my chambers."

Elsa then takes a walk around, "Well, the thing about it is that second story where you have the study, structurally it is brilliant to be honest and looking at it as a designer, it really ties the room together."

He gives a stunned look as he walks over to the hanger in the corner and retrieves a jacket, "I never knew that the same Elsa who would conjurer up a winter wonderland when we were kids in the middle of hot summers in a ballroom would be the same Elsa who has an eye for design."

"Well... I dabble in a bit of design sometimes when I have the spare time and I love geometry, built an ice palace using my powers, designed a dress of ice and I do a few dress designs here and there as well as stuff I could create with my powers." The Snow Queen replies as she looks to one of the designs of the scabbard of one of his swords he has hanging on the wall that has a wintery theme of metallic blues, silvers and white gold, "But... I don't have much time for those things sometimes. Father never told me how demanding being a Queen is."

"Neither mine told me how sharp a sword _really_ is, but look where it got us." Petyr quips, getting a soft laugh from his friend, "Well what do you know, you still have that same laugh then."

"And yet I have to ask if you're really are trying to do a comparison to when we were kids to now." Elsa says with an unimpressed look

"I'm just curious, I suppose." Petyr says with a half-shrug –half being that he can't raise his left shoulder, "You've really changed since a long time ago, and I'm not just saying because of growing up, a change of titles and this persona change since learning control."

"If it's any consolation, you've done the same when it comes to change." The Snow Queen says as she then approaches him once more and helps him with his winter coat, "You're not that little rascal anymore who steals cookies, climbs trees and plays in the mud. The boy who would make our fathers say to our mothers when you would encourage me to climb trees with you to say 'Petyr's a boy, Idun, Ella, and boys will be boys and Elsa's a fierce little girl if she's following him up that tree'."

"That's because we grew up." Petyr responds, before taking her hand and beginning to lead her to the door, "But that doesn't mean we have to act our age. Do you wanna climb a tree?"

"You can't even use your left arm properly, how are you supposed to climb a tree?" Elsa responds with an inquisitive look and a voice of reason as she follows him

"I've got enough thread through my body at the moment I'd rather be a tapestry than a man if I were to be anything." He replies as he opens the door, when looking back receiving an amused roll of eyes from Elsa, "And I'm strong in my right arm anyway as it's my sword hand. Yet, I'd ask you how'd you climb a tree in a dress and slippers like those, but you'd be able to do it either way when we were kids."

"Alright then if you insist..." She says in a playful tone, relinquishing her hand from his grasp as she walks out the door with a spirited smirk on her face, "And I still bet I can beat you up there in a dress and slippers."

"Oh you're on." He replies, closing the door, "Race you to the oak tree in the back garden?"

Elsa dons a confident smirk as she runs ahead in an unfair head start, "Like a queen could say no to a challenge. Well, come on then!"

"Oh that is not fair, you're already ahead..." Petyr then says, himself getting into that childlike playful spirit, "But not for long!"

The two young adults then head down the hall as fast as they both can run and in starting fits of laughter. Now, normally Elsa would be the one who is composed, regal and majestic, true to her nature as the Queen of Arendelle, however underlying all of this, she is playful and sometimes a little mischievous within her own reason. Namely, like the time she redirected the dancing duty that the Duke of Westleton offered her at the coronation ball to her sister, Anna. Nevertheless, she can be this playful young woman as she was when she was a child before the troubles started from nine upwards.

* * *

Lord Amadeus is at the Palace and after giving his update to the press, the ministers and even the ambassadors over the investigation, he had gotten an immediate message given to him about the blade he had sent off to be analysed. Without haste, he exited the palace and then mounted his horse with the other commanding officers that had to be present during this briefing to go to the forge of one of the finest blacksmiths in all of Arendelle.

Riding through the city streets now that that assassination attempt made on their queen's life happened only a few short winter nights ago, Amadeus has noticed the change in attitudes that has come. Everyone seems a little less cheerful as the people usually would be, not just affected by this cold snap that is coming through the kingdom either. Some are seemingly fearful as they walk about, darting their eyes back and forth in watch for anything that may seem to be out of the norm. –Bearing in mind it was more than just the Queen and Petyr Brenan who affected by the events of that night as many in the Kingdom are now in fear to go out at night. Most indeed are a little shaken from the events of that night as some were injured because of things such as trampling and trips and falls and then there was some poor man who had copped an injury because of the daggers the man was throwing, as they had gotten one on the shoulder.

Lord Brenan arrives to this meeting at this smith's forge and greeted with a respectful bow from the man as he dismounts his horse with other commanders of the police and the royal military behind him.

"My lords." The blacksmith says with his bow, "It is good you have all come quickly."

"If it has to do with trying to get this assassin who threatens the life of my beloved niece to justice for his crimes, then quickly is what we're aiming for." Lord Brenan replies as they then enter this workplace, "So about the dagger, what is it that you have found."

As they go inside the blacksmith's forge, Lord Brenan looks around to see weapons half-finished and horseshoes by the dozen as things always seem to be busy in these places, especially if you have quite a large clientele. They then come over to a bench where the dagger, this dagger they had found the least bit troublesome to retrieve as they cleaned up the scene, was turned over to be looked over by this craftsman who works with metals.

The blacksmith takes the dagger in their hands as they give an analysis, "The dagger, answering your question, Lord Brenan, is one of the finest crafted daggers I have ever seen. Its individual style is akin to that of a creator who would be from the Southern Isles as it is made of a special sort of metal they have there. Light in weight for the use in blades and agile, but this metal is that of being very sharp and very strong."

"Lord Brenan, propose we have an envoy take this dagger example to the Southern Isles and try to find a possible lead there." The captain of the royal guards proposes to the head of this investigation, "If we do I'm sure we will find a lead as to whom is this assassin who is looming about Arendelle and makes threats to the Queen's life. Then it may be easier for a manhunt then when we know who they are."

"You make a point there, I cannot argue." Amadeus replies with a nod of his head, "Send an envoy down to our embassy in the Southern Isles as soon as possible, I'll make sure that they have an order so if the Royal Family asks, they'll know that Arendelle sent them on important business to do with the same Queen that their youngest almost usurped. You may be dismissed."

"Yes, my lord." The few other commanders say with a respectful nod of their head, meaning that they are dismissed

Following this duty done, Amadeus can only bide his time until they could get answers now. Becoming to a slow process, yes as by the time that the weather will be best for sailing again and give or take some time for their investigation will take place in the Southern Isles... Give or take it a few weeks, maybe even a month or so just to get the vital link that could lead to more information about this fellow. Already, as he has heard from the tabloids and the people alike in their frantic whispers about the town, the assailant is already getting a nickname for himself as "The Winter Swordsman"... Yet it seems fitting when you come down to the definition, as he is a swordsman, yes, who attacked the Winter Festival celebrations.

* * *

At Rose Blossom Manor, despite often being this mature and civilised ruler, her playful side has somewhat overwhelmed her as in the snow covered backyard of the Brenan family's manor, she and her childhood friend Petyr are climbing the large tree in the backyard. Thirteen years on, it's the same tree they used to climb in those nine summers they spent together and even in those thirteen years since her last visit here, it's always something that Elsa and Petyr would do. Despite how old they are getting as they are both twenty one years old, the both of them nearly twenty two, in some eyes, too old to be climbing trees like children, they're still doing it anyway as it is some unconventional tradition. Elsa, although wearing her dress and heels, has a bit of a lead despite going easy for Petyr as he is basically climbing with the use of one of his arms to support this weight, however, the injured nobleman is catching up.

"How are you doing this when you can't use your left arm properly?" Elsa asks as she is making her way up, pulling herself over one of the strong branches of the tree

"Like I said, my right is my stronger arm as it's my sword arm and you'd be surprised of how much I can do with it." Petyr replies as he is rapidly catching up to Elsa, pulling himself up to an opposite branch next to her with his right arm in a pull up, with the left only just supporting what it can, "Besides, I'm the one who wonders how you're beating me up when it's been thirteen years."

"As the physician said to me the other day, I'm fit as a fiddle and as strong as a mountain." She says, rolling her eyes at the use of those silly idioms

They continue climbing to a strong, sturdy tree branch they always would call the "Perching Point" when they were kids. These childhood playmates would climb up the tree most times to sit and watch the summer sunsets when waiting for dinner. Even watch as their fathers would be fencing while their mothers had tea by the setting over yonder near the slight cliff that overlooks their vineyard or when all their parents were playing croquet or badminton it was indeed a good place to sit most days. And to those little things they once were those years ago it felt good to be up there as it was very high to them, given that they were barely a metre high when they started climbing the tree. Elsa then reaches there and pulls herself up to sit on the sturdy branch before looking down to Petyr who is following close behind.

"Told you, I told you I'd beat you, Petyr." Elsa grins with a cheerful chuckle, happy over her victory as she sits on the branch, "After all these years, even when you're a little bigger than me, I'd always beat you up."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Petyr shrugs off as he comes to join her with a pull up of his right arm, Elsa extending him the curtsey of helping him up as she always did when they were kids, but now being due to having difficulty in using his left arm, namely because of his shoulder and the wound that leads up to it, "Thanks. If it weren't for my arm then I would be a little more competitive."

Elsa looks on the view, although not much to see since it is the middle of winter, the weather being a little gloomy as of late, the view not being as great compared to that of the summer, it's still something.

"I remember it being higher..." Elsa says as she looks to her feet that dangle over the branch and looking down to the ground

"Yeah, true... but we were little back then." He replies while making himself comfortable, leaning against the trunk of the tree with his feet in front of him, "And you thought that it was so far to the ground if you fell that you could use your dress as a parachute."

"Coming from the boy who was afraid of ducks up until the age of nine, it doesn't sound as silly." She then retorts with a smug smirk

Petyr then rolls his eyes, "Yeah sure... Hit me with the low blow, but you know that those things can be bloody vicious when they want the bread and when your mother says 'feed the ducks, Petie, feed the ducks' and they end up bloody chasing me half the length of the park... I had a reason to be afraid of them when I was a kid, alright."

"My sister can be vicious when it comes to chocolate and I don't see myself or even Kristoff running from her whenever there is something with chocolate in it on our person." She then says with a bit of a laugh

"Alright, I'll let you have that one." He laughs with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, "You know, I've missed this, sitting up here when we can be free to talk about stuff have a laugh over things. Of course, as kids, we just talked about the petty things they talk about in the innocence of their youth."

"Yeah... And back then we _were_ young, carefree and had our whole lives ahead of us." Elsa says before breathing a bit of a pained sigh, "Not someone threatening your life, a whole kingdom resting on your shoulders and everyone looking to you to lead them through the times good and bad..."

"Life is what we make of it, Elsa, that's all I can say of it." Petyr says as he looks out on the horizon with her, "Just go with it as it comes, that's all I can say. Find a man you love, not some poser thrown at you in some sort of arranged marriage, settle down, have kids, and make sure to be happy with it, Elsa. We don't want another... mountain excursion and a literal cold snap hitting us again."

She then looks to him, "You know, you can make the most... bizarre of words make sense sometimes in advice."

"I call it a side effect of being too darn smart for my own good." He says with a cocky grin plastered across his face

"God, it's like speaking to that nine year old, except that he's now a twenty one year old, going on twenty two in a couple months who has spent half his life away from home and his life in suitcases while his father represented by father to the Isles." Elsa says with a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes

"It's called being a child at heart, and sometimes we sorta have to be in touch with that inner child." Petyr replies

He then moves his hand over a bit at the same time as she does and her hand ends up on top of his and they then look each other with a bit of a smile, although being in the premise of being a little awkward. She then looks again as her hand has not frosted anything as of yet, and his hand remains perfectly fine, which is reassuring that she can still control her powers. She then looks to her other hand as it begins to defrost a bit of the snow around it, which is a little odd, as she would only do that when-

The back doors come open, "Your grace, I have a-"

They quickly remove their hands as looking down to Elsa's lady in waiting Nadia, who is accompanied by the giggles, later herself in person, of Petyr's younger sister, Elsie. Nadia is looking around for a moment while Elsie giggles in the background, is standing by the base of the tree and she looks up, and winks to her older brother. Petyr then winks back, Elsa then looks to him with an unamused look and he then shrugs, as if telling her that it is just what they do.

"Elsie, you said they would be out here." Nadia says, turning around to face the six year old

"They are, Miss Nadia, they are." Elsie replies, acting natural before breaking into giggles as she then says in a sing-songy voice, "Keep looking."

Nadia then paces around the backyard looking around trees and everything and Elsa, although reluctantly, is playing along as she and Petyr remain silent on the tree branch. Elsa goes to move her foot onto the main branch when her slipper comes off and despite her trying to grab it; she is pulled back by Petyr as she nearly falls off the branch. The slipper falls to the ground behind Nadia before she then walks back to pick it up before looking up to see her boss and the eldest Brenan child up in the tree. Then it hits her like a knock to the head as Petyr and Elsa look down with amused stares, she remembers being told on several occasions that they used to always climb the tree when they were young in those summers they spent with their families together here.

"Very funny." Nadia says with slightly amused, slightly disapproving look up to them, "Now could you both come down, please."

"Yeah, yeah, alright, as you wish Miss Rose, the Queen's Lady in Waiting." Petyr says in a slightly sarcastic voice to the orders

As he begins to move, Elsa then stops him with her arm, shaking her head before letting some ice magic begin to swarm in her hand. In a flash and a wave of her hand, a slide is made out of ice and with a courteous gesture for her to go first, Elsa then slides down to the ground and then moves aside as Petyr follows on behind the queen, taking much care though so he does not injure himself any more. Elsa then begins to clean up the mess she has made by the same way she was able to defrost Arendelle during the Great Thaw, thinking about love and in no time, the ice is gone.

Petyr feels a sudden tug at his non-injured arm by his younger sister, "Can I have a go? Can I, can I, can I please, Petyr, please. I want to go on the slide Elsa made like you and Elsa did. Can I have a go on the slide?"

"Maybe we should leave it for another time, Elsie." Nadia then interjects, much to the child's displeasure as she lets out a disappointed moan

"Don't worry too much about it, Elsie." Elsa says to the young girl as she kneels down to her level, "Maybe I'll ask Anna if she can take you sledding one day, she loves to play in the snow. I am sure my sister would love to take her favourite little cousin sledding. Would you like that?"

Elsie nods, "Ah-huh."

"How about we go inside and get out of this cold, eh." Petyr then says, taking his sister's hand as they then walk toward the back doors to the manor

Elsa then rises as the Brenan children then head off and she looks to her lady in waiting before beginning to walk inside as well, "Nadia, what did you want to tell me?"

"A couple messages have come from the palace." Nadia says as follows the queen in the usual fashion, "Firstly, your uncle has left a document on your desk that he wants you to co-sign in order for the investigation to go offshore to the Southern Isles. He says that they have to take one of the blades that they found at the scene, which they had enquired with the proper trade person about, and it is said that they must take this blade to the Isles to find a the possible creator to find some leads on it."

"I'll be sure to sign it then." Elsa declares as she and her lady in waiting then enters the manor and the doors close behind them in order to keep the manor warm, "What's the other thing you wanted to tell me?"

Nadia then looks to the Snow Queen with much a serious look, "Your sister has asked for you, Elsa. She says that you must see her as soon as you can."

* * *

Somewhere up in the North Mountains, not as far up as the summit, there being the site of where Elsa's Ice Palace still stands today with Marshmallow inhabiting it and the Snow Queen letting him have this home to watch for her, but pretty far up, there is something indeed out of place. We come up to a side of the mountain where suddenly we come across a cave.

Entering this cave within the mountain, it comes to be not _a_ cave but the entrance to some large underground cavern that is decorated as if it is some sort of rustic, underground palace among other things you could call it. A figure walks in through the cave up at the top and then pulls rope with much force and a door with an icy pattern on the front as camouflage comes down and sealed into place as they tie the rope to a heavy counterweight to hold it down. By when it comes to the ground, torch that this person is carrying lights those other torches that are at this front entrance before they walk to a ladder affixed to the side of the cave wall when come to the edge of this platform. They slide down it with much ease even one handed, holding the torch still in left hand while the right grasps the ladder. They reach the ground level of this underground home and light another few more torches around the area before lighting the fire in a small, carved out part of the wall before putting the torch in a holder.

They sit by the fire, breathing a deep breath as they feel the well-desired warmth of the fire on their body. After sitting by the fire for a couple minutes, they then go to taking off their gloves, one after another and with a flick, the first glove comes off the right hand, revealing a perfectly normal hand of course. They then come to remove the second...

_Very carefully..._

Once taking it off the left glove, it reveals a hand that is far from normal. Their hand slightly frosted by the top, especially by the fingers which are blued and this running down to the palm with a snowflake pattern on them (**Think of when Anna's hands began to freeze over in the movie**) and even when held by the fire... it does not change anything. They then lower their hood, and from the view at the back, it is only wispy, collar length dark black hair with a white streak through it from the middle of their hair down to the side and they raise their snow-blasted hand.

"Elsa will be finished..." They say with a clench of that hand


End file.
